


him or me ; park seonghwa

by yoon_han_byeol



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: ATEEZ - Freeform, AU, F/M, KPop AU, Kq fellaz, Twin AU, kpop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 38,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22389178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoon_han_byeol/pseuds/yoon_han_byeol
Summary: twin au[on going]
Relationships: Park Seonghwa/OC
Kudos: 12





	1. нιм σя мє

━━━━━━━━

**_him or me_ **

━━━━━━━━

**_started_** : 27.sempt.2019  
 ** _finished_** :

━━━━━━━━

**_characters:_ **

**『** **park seongwoo ;** **박성우** **』**

↠ popular ; playboy ; athletic

**『** **park seonghwa ;** **박성화** **』**

↠ loner ; invisible ; secretly very sensitive

**『** **kang heeyoung ;** **강히영** **』**

↠ new student

**『** **yoon jane** **』**

**『 choi san ; 최산 』**

**『 jung wooyoung ; 정우영 』**

**『 nam eunkyung ; 남은경 』**


	2. σηє

It was just a day like the others. Seonghwa woke up and took his time getting ready for school. His bother and his parents were already having having breakfast downstairs, but he tried to be late on purpose, just so he didn't have to see them for too long. He took a shower and got dressed. He then took his backpack and went downstairs. When he entered the kitchen, his father looked at him with a disapproving look.

《You're late again》 he said

《I know》 the boy replied 《Don't have time to have breakfast with you, sorry》

He quickly grabbed an apple and walked out of the kitchen again. Even if him and his twin brother went to the same school, they never went there together. They weren't exactly on good terms and Seonghwa was actually really happy that they weren't in the same classes.

He walked to school eating his apple, enjoying the loud music coming from his headphones. When he arrived at the building he threw the remains of the apple in a bin and walked in.

When Seongwoo walked into the school, usually everyone turned around to look at him. All the girls drooled over him and all the boys were jealous of him. He was always in the top 3 best students of the whole school, he was good at all the sports and all the teachers loved him. Despite having the same face as him, Seonghwa didn't have the same success. He was his brother's shadow. His grades were never as high as his bother's, he hated every kind of exercise, and instead of worrying about his future or school record, he liked to focus more on the things he loved, which were music and poetry. All the teachers always loved to compare him to Seongwoo, and his parents always did the same. No one thought that he was good enough for anything, while his brother was always seen as the perfect guy.

Seonghwa had to admit that the pressure from his parents and teachers wasn't nice, but he couldn't complain about not being popular. He never liked the attention, and he was glad he wasn't gettin any.

He entered the class and sat at his usual desk at the back of the classroom. It was a desk for two, right next to the window. The class had more seats than students, and the seat next to him had been empty since the first day of school. No one wanted to sit next to him, and he was glad. At least he could be in peace.

The rest of the students entered the class and the teacher came in just as the bell rang. Mr Choi was about to start the lesson, when the door opened again and a girl ran in, stopping to catch her breath.

《I'm sorry I'm late》 she said

Mr Choi glared at her and then turned to the class.

《As you can see, we have a new student》 he said, then he turned to the girl 《Introduce yourself》

《Hi!》 she said, smily brightly 《I'm Kang Heeyoung! Nice to meet you all》

《Go sit down where you want》 he simply replied 《And don't be late again》

The girl apologized again, then looked around. She scanned the whole class, looking where all the empty seats where. She smiled and quickly walked to the back of the class. Seonghwa felt something moving next to him and turned around just in time to see her sitting in the chair next to him. She smiled at him.

《Hello》 she said

He looked at he as if she was crazy and then looked away without replying. His actions didn't ruin her mood. She just shrugged it off and took out her things. She took out a big blue notebook with numerous doodles on the cover. Then, she took out her pencil case and started taking out all the pens and pencils, organizing them on the desk: the pencil was at one end, because that way it was easier to grab, then she put the red pen right next to it, then blue pen and black pen, and at the end she put the eraser to keep all the pens in place. Seonghwa glared at her weirdness.

Heeyoung kept a smile on her face for the whole lesson, occasionally taking notes and listening the teacher's speech. She noticed that the boys next to her wasn't taking notes, so she started focusing on him instead of the lesson.

《What's your name?》 she whispered to him

He didn't reply nor looked at her.

《Mine's Heeyoung》 she added

《I know》 he replied, coldly 《I heard you earlier》

《What other lessons do you have?》 she asked, overly excited 《I wanna know if we're in the same classes. If we are we could sit together again》

《You talk to much》

《I'm just happy about my first day of school》 she said, still smiling

《What's there to be happy about at school?》 he mumbled to himself

《Hey, new one!》 Mr Choi called her 《Stop talking and focus on the lesson》

Heeyoung apologized and started taking notes again, forgetting about the boy sitting next to her. At the end of the lesson everyone got up and walked out of the room. She wanted to stop the boy again and ask where his next class was, but he walked away so quietly and quickly that she lost him as soon as they walked out.

She looked at her timetable and walked around the hallways trying to find the class. Once she did, she walked in, and the new teacher asked her to introduce herself again. In this class, there was only one seat left, so she had to sit there. Next to her there was a girl.

《Hi》 Heeyoung said

《Hi, I'm Jane》 she replied

The two boys sitting in the desk in front of theirs turned around and smiled at the new girl.

《I'm San》 the blonde one said

《And I'm Wooyoung》 the other one said

《Nice to meet you》 the girl replied, satisfied with the warm welcome

She sat down and started talking with her desk mate. She found out her and the two boys had a lot of classes in common and Heeyoung was really happy to know it, since it would mean she could see some familiar faces again during the day.

For the rest of the morning they helped her around the school and they managed to talk a lot, even during the lessons. Heeyoung was really interested finding out that Jane was an exchange student from America, and that Wooyoung and San were her best friends. Jane seemed like a fierce girl, while the two boys looked more like the playful and sweet types. They were a strange group, but at the same time there was something really comfortable in them.

When the bell of lunch break rang, Heeyoung walked with them to the canteen. They queued up for the food and waited for their turn. She looked around, looking for free tables, when she noticed a familiar face. She tapped Jane's shoulder to get her attention.

《Who's that boy over there?》

《His name's Seonghwa》 Jane replied 《He's always eating alone》

《I tired talking to him once》 Wooyoung added 《He looked at me like he wanted to kill me》

He faked a shiver from fear and Heeyoung smiled at his silliness. They all bought the food they needed and then went around the tables, trying to find empty seats.

《How about we seat with him?》 Heeyoung suggested, gesturing to Seonghwa

《He's scary》 San replied, and Wooyoung nodded

《Shut up you two》 Jane said, then she turned to the girl 《I'm glad we finally have someone brave with us, unlike someone else》

She said the last part loud enough for the two boys to hear, and they scoffed at her remark.

《Let's try》 Jane said, leading the way to Seonghwa's empty table

Heeyoung approached him first, putting her tray with the food in front of his and sitting there. Jane, Wooyoung and San sat at that table too, but put a little bit more distance from themselves and the scary looking boy.

《Hey》 Heeyoung said 《Can we keep you company?》

《I prefer to be alone》 he replied, eating his food

《I'm good company, I promise》 she said

He put down his fork and sat up from his seat.

《I said I want to be alone》 he repeated

He took his tray and walked to another table, far from that one, and sat down alone again. Heeyoung sulked at the failed attempt.

《At least you tried》 said Jane, patting her back

She started eating her food, chatting with her new friends, but she kept glancing at Seonghwa from time to time. _Why was he alone?_ Everyone needs some company from time to time.


	3. тωσ

Heeyoung had the masochist habit of putting others before herself. The thing she hated the most was seeing people being left out. That was one of the reasons why it made her sad every time her eyes landed on Seonghwa. She wanted to make him happy and keep him company, because seeing him alone hurt her feelings. She wanted to know him and find out what kind of person he was. That's why she decided she was going to become friends with him, in one way or another.

When she went to school the next day, she kept repeating in her mind that nothing was going to bring her down. Even if he refused to talk to her, she was going to insist until he gave in.

As soon as she walked into the schoolyard, she noticed a familiar face from afar. She frowned when she noticed that it was Seonghwa, and that his hair was blonde. She thought it was a great opportunity to start a conversation so she run to him.

《Hey, wait, Seonghwa!》 she yelled 《Wait a second》

She caught up to him and grabbed his arm to stop him. He turned around, looking at her with an annoyed look.

《Who the hell are you?》 he asked

《What do you mean, who am I?》 she asked, confused 《I'm Heeyoung. We're in a couple classes together》

《I don't remember any Heeyoung》

《We sit next to each other!》 she said

He shrugged, not really caring about the girl in front of him.

《What happened to your hair? Why did you dye them?》

That's when Seongwoo understood what was going on. An annoyed sigh left his lips.

《You got the wrong person, baby》 he said, walking away

Heeyoung was confused, and she watched who she thought was Seonghwa walking away as if nothing happened. She shook her head to get back to reality and walked to class. She was going to meet him again soon since they shared some classes, so she was going to talk to him again there.

She sat at her desk at the end of the class, waiting for Seonghwa to arrive. When the lesson was about to start and everyone was already in the class, the door opened and Seonghwa walked in. Heeyoung's mouth fell open when she saw he had black hair. He sat on his seat and looked at her with a frown, noticing her shocked expression.

《Why are you looking at me like that?》 he asked, slightly annoyed

《I saw you this morning and your hair was blonde》 she explained, confused

《You met my brother》 he replied, without even looking at her

《You have a twin brother?》 she asked, surprised

《Hm》 he simply said, nodding

《Oh my god I'm so embarrassed》 she said, hiding her face behind her hands

The bell rang and the teacher entered the class, but Heeyoung was too embarrassed thinking about that weird encounter to focus on the lesson. She put her head on the desk and pouted in shame. She couldn't see it, but Seonghwa glanced at her once, and unconsciously smiled at her cuteness. He quickly realized it and went back to his poker face.

Heeyoung spent the whole lesson trying to forget about the embarrassing moment and that made Seonghwa think he was going to be left in peace, but as soon as the lesson finished she started to talk to him again.

《What's your brother's name?》 she asked

《It doesn't matter》 he replied

《I should probably apologize for this morning》 she said 《Can you tell me where I can find him?》

Seonghwa looked at the girl.

《Looking for him probably isn't a good idea》 he replied 《But if you really want to find him you'll have to do it at your own risk》

He gave her one last glance and walked away. Heeyoung was confused for the second time that day. Was there something wrong with his brother? Why did Seonghwa say that?

Suddenly, a hand waved in front of her and she was brought back from her thoughts.

《You okay?》 San asked

《I was just thinking》

Jane and Wooyoung showed up next to him.

《Thinking about what?》 Wooyoung asked

《I met Seonghwa's brother this morning and embarrassed myself thinking it was him》

The two boys gasped and Jane rolled her eyes.

《You should be careful with him》 San said

《Why?》

《Seongwoo is a playboy》 Jane intruded 《He's popular here at school and he's also a really good student》

《He has a terrible temper thought》 Wooyoung added

《He's the complete opposite of his brother》 San said

《Apart for the "temper" part》 Wooyoung said, making Heeyoung chuckle

《If he has such a popular brother, why is Seonghwa always alone?》 Heeyoung asked

《They don't get along at all》 Jane explained 《They are rivals in everything, but it seems like Seongwoo is the one that always wins》

In that moment Heeyoung wanted to get to know Seonghwa even more. She knew that people often found her annoying and nosey, but she couldn't help being curious about other people. Seonghwa was attracting her attention more than anyone.

—

Heeyoung went with his three new friends to their next lesson, but during one of them, the teacher made her realize that she didn't have one of the textbooks. To not make her buy a new one, he told her to just borrow a copy from the school, so after the lesson Heeyoung went to the school's library.

She asked around to find out where the book she was looking for was, and then she went in the direction they told her. After more than ten minutes of looking around, she noticed the book in one of the higher shelves. She tried to reach out and tiptoe, but she still couldn't reach it.

She looked around to see if she could find a tool she could step on, or a person that could help her, but instead she saw something else. In a table in the corner of the library, there was Seonghwa with his head laying on the table.

Heeyoung walked closer to him, just to notice that he was sleeping. She looked at the books around him and the pen that was still in his hand. _He must have fallen asleep while studying_ , she thought. She stopped to look at him for a while, and smiled at how calm and beautiful he looked while he was sleeping.

She stepped forward to look at him better, but she accidentally kicked the chair in front of her and made a loud noise. Seonghwa moved and opened his eyes. When he noticed Heeyoung, he frowned.

《Sorry I didn't mean to wake you up》 she quickly said

《What are you doing here?》 he asked

《I was looking for a book》

He scanned her.

《I don't see any book》 he said

《It's too high and I can't reach it》 she admitted

《Well, good luck then》 he replied

He got up and started putting his things back in his bag. He closed it and he was about to walk away, when she grabbed the hem of his jacket.

《Wait》 she said 《Can you help me get it?》

《Why would I do that?》

《Because I need help and you're the only person around》

He sighed and gestured for her to lead the way. She walked to where the book was and he followed her.

《Did you fall asleep while studying?》 she asked him, while they were walking

《Hm》

《Why? Do you not sleep well during the night?》

《Do you always talk so much?》 he replied, ignoring her question

Since they arrived in the right section, instead of replying to him, Heeyoung pointed at the book.

《That one》 she said

He reached out and took it without much struggle, giving it to her.

《Thank you》 she said

《You're welcome》 he replied, monotone

Without any other world, he turned around and walked away.


	4. тняєє

Heeyoung was out grocery shopping, when a lady in the middle of the supermarket stopped her.

《Young lady, you're a student right?》 she asked

《Yes》 Heeyoung replied

《I know a lot of students struggle with sleep, especially when exams are near》 the lady said 《If that's also the case for you, I recommend you this special tea. It's made with herbs that help people sleep. It's a bit bitter, but my daughter uses it all the time and it works quite well》

In that moment Heeyoung thought of Seonghwa. If he fell asleep at school, it must have meant he had trouble sleeping at home. She didn't know what the problem was, but it wasn't important. That tea might have helped him, so why not try? She asked the lady to give her one box of tea, then went to pay for it.

The next day, at school, she was actually a bit nervous to bring up the topic with Seonghwa. That day they didn't have classes in common, so she asked Jane where Seonghwa's locker was, and waited for him there. When he arrived there and noticed Heeyoung, he sighed in defeat.

《Hi》 she greeted him

He opened his locker without replying to her.

《I was out yesterday and I saw this》 she said, handing him the box 《It reminded me how you fell asleep in the library so I thought I could get you one》

《What is it?》 he asked

《It's a tea that helps with sleeping》

《You should mind your business》 he replied, annoyed

《I just wanted to do something nice》 she said, embarrassed 《I thought it might help you》

《Stop being nosey》

He closed his locker with a loud slam that made Heeyoung flinch, and walked away. She wasn't hurt. She was angry, actually. She knew it might have came out as nosey, but she really just had good intentions and she hated that he didn't accept her gift. She was determined to not give up.

That day she left him alone, not even bothering him at lunch. The next day, during the lesson they had together, she didn't talk with him, but at the end of the lesson she slipped the box with a little note in his bag.

At the end of the day, Seonghwa walked home from school. He tried to take his time walking there, since he didn't want to spend too much time with the rest of his family. When he entered the house, his mother was in the living room waiting for him.

《You're late》 she stated

Seonghwa didn't reply nor apologized.

《Dinner's almost ready》 she said 《Come down in a bit》

Seonghwa nodded and went upstairs. He entered his room and threw his backpack on the bed. He felt a metallic sound and frowned in confusion. He quickly opened his bag and noticed the same box Heeyoung had tried to give him the day before, with a note attached to it. He took the note and opened it.

"I'm sorry if it seems like I'm messing into your business but I really just want to help. I don't know if you really have trouble sleeping, and if you do, I don't know the cause, but this might always be useful. I hope you can accept the gift".

Seonghwa sighed in defeat.

《What's that?》

He looked up and noticed his brother standing by the door.

《It's nothing》 he replied, putting the box away

《Dinner's ready》 Seongwoo said, walking away

Seonghwa got up and went downstairs. He entered the living room and sat on his chair, trying to ignore the glare his father was sending him. The waiter came and served the dishes and they started to eat.

《How's school going Seongwoo?》 their mother asked

《Everything's fine》 he replied 《I have a science project due in a few days but it's already done》

《I'm so proud of all the effort you put into school》 she said 《I'm sure your teachers are proud as well. Your marks are always so high》

《And what are you doing, Seonghwa?》 their father interfered, with a slightly accusing tone

《I'm doing just fine》 he replied, not even looking away from his plate

《I know you have an exam next week》 he said 《Are you studying for it?》

《Why should I even bother? Even if I get a high score you won't recognize it》 Seonghwa said

His father slammed the fork on the table, angry.

《Don't you dare be so disrespectful》

Seonghwa scoffed, and Seongwoo smirked by himself, enjoying the show.

《Get up》 their father ordered

Seonghwa ignored him and kept eating. His father got up from his seat and went to him, harshly grabbing him by the collar and making him stand up.

《I said get up!》 he ordered 《You don't get to finish!》

He pushed him away and Seonghwa stumbled a little. He glared as his father, then at his mother that was eating as if nothing was happening, and at his brother, that was looking a little bit too pleased by all of it.

Upset, he went back to his room and locked himself in there. He laid on the bed and groaned in frustration. He turned around on the bed and he noticed the tea box on the nightstand, reminding him of Heeyoung. For a second, he caught himself thinking that her bright personalty would't have been such a bad company in that moment. As soon as he realized what he had thought, he forced himself to disagree, and went back to being grumpy.

—

When the next day Seonghwa walked into class, Heeyoung was a bit nervous about what his reaction about the box might have been. She was afraid he would get angry at her, but when he walked in he just silently sat on his chair and focused on the lesson, not paying attention to her.

《Is everything alright?》 she asked, worried

There was a weird look on his face and she couldn't understand what it was.

《Yes》 he replied

《Did you... get the tea box?》 she asked, hesitant

《Yes》

She waited a couple of minutes, hoping to get a reaction, but he didn't say anything else apart from the plain "yes". She started to think that it was a good sign. If he wasn't saying anything negative maybe he enjoyed it.

《Will you use it?》

Her tone was hopeful, but when he turned to look at her and said "no" with a serious expression, her smile died right away. He felt a bit bad, but he brushed it off.

For the rest of the lessons she barely talked to him. She was a bit disappointed, but most of all she was torn. She didn't know if trying to become friends with him was a good idea anymore, and she didn't know if she should have kept trying. Her failures were getting to her and it was something new. Usually they never affected her so much.

Jane, Wooyoung and San noticed she was down, so they tried to cheer her up.

《What's wrong sunshine?》 San asked

《Seonghwa didn't like the tea box》 she said, pouting

《Don't take it personal》 he said, patting her back 《He's grumpy with everyone》

《I'll buy you lunch today》 Jane said

《You don't have to》

《It's no problem》 she replied

They went to the canteen and Jane payed for Heeyoung's food as well, as she promised. They looked around for a place to sit, and they all looked at Seonghwa.

《Are you going to try to talk to him today as well?》 Wooyoung asked

《I don't know if I should keep doing it》

《If there's someone that can get through his thick skull, it's you》 Jane said 《I think you should keep trying》

San and Wooyoung nodded in agreement. They walked to the table Seonghwa was sitting at and, as usual, they sat next to him. Seonghwa sighed when he saw Heeyoung in front of him, and started getting up to walk away once again.

《If you get up and sit somewhere else, I'll follow you there as well》 she said 《If you don't want me to follow you around and bother you, all you have to do is endure one single lunch break with us. I'll stop bothering you if you give me that》

Seonghwa looked at her and saw the desperation in her eyes. He knew he really wanted to get closer to him, but to him that thought was scary. Even if he didn't want to, he gave in and sat again at that table, not saying anything. Heeyoung, for a second, looked surprised of her small success.

Her and her group of friends started having a casual conversation while eating and they tried to involve Seonghwa. From time to time he replied to the things they asked him, even if they were short replies, while other times he just ignored them. At the end of the break Heeyoung was actually satisfied. It seemed to her that Seonghwa was opening up a little bit and it warmed her heart.

After lunch Heeyoung hurried up to walk to class with Seonghwa.

《It wasn't that bad, was it?》 she asked him

《Not as bad as I thought》 he replied

《Does that mean we can keep sitting next to you at lunch?》 she asked, hopeful

《If you don't push it》

She smiled so bright that Seonghwa had to hold his own smile back at the sight. She was genuinely happy and he found her cute.


	5. ƒσυя

Seonghwa started to open up a bit. For the following days he let Heeyoung and her friends sit with him at lunch. He didn't get too involved in their conversations, but he did talk from time to time. When he was alone with Heeyoung he was a little bit more relaxed and he talked more, but when there was the whole group he always tried to hold back.

Seonghwa was used to being alone. His brother, Seongwoo, had been popular since they were little. Even when they were in kindergarten and elementary school, all the teachers praised Seongwoo for being a kind and sweet kid, while Seonghwa was always grumpy in their eyes. It wasn't his fault though. He became like that because no one ever noticed him. Since he was little, the only one that matter of the two twin brothers was Seongwoo, and Seonghwa was deeply hurt by it.

At first Seongwoo was the only one that kept being nice to Seonghwa, but growing up he started feeling more and more important and he decided to take advantage of it. He tried to push Seonghwa out of the family and out of social life, and unfortunately for the poor boy, he succeeded.

The few times Seonghwa managed to make friends, they let him down or only played around with him because Seongwoo told them to do it. He enjoyed seeing his brother suffer.

That was why he was scared to get closer to Heeyoung. He knew she couldn't have been related to his brother, but that fact still didn't make him relax. He already felt that he was unconsciously getting attached to her and he didn't want to. He didn't want to be let down again and he didn't want to give his brother more reasons to pick on him.

When Seonghwa was with Heeyoung and her whole group of friends, he managed to hold back enough to only reply at some questions, but when he was alone with her it was difficult. There was something about her that made him want to open his heart, and it upset him.

《I used your tea》 he admitted one day, during a lesson

Heeyoung turned to him, surprised.

《Really?》 she asked 《I thought you threw the box away》

Seonghwa held back a grin.

《I kept it》 he replied

《Does it work?》 she asked

《It was really bitter》 he said, frowning at the memory of its taste 《But I did sleep a bit better, so I guess it worked》

《I'm glad it helped》 she replied, smiley

It was something so small, but it still made Heeyoung happy. Seonghwa knew that and he felt his chest get warmer.

Since the lesson was boring, Heeyoung started doodling on a notebook. Seonghwa found himself staring at her while she was drawing but she was too into it to notice. She doodled an angry bird with a speech bubble over it, saying "stop being nosey!". She passed the notebook to Seonghwa and once he saw the drawing he chuckled.

《Is that supposed to be me?》

She nodded.

《I don't look like an angry bird》

《You do》 she replied, taking back her notebook

She noticed how he smiled at her and slightly blushed, trying to distract herself by drawing something else. In that moment, the door of the classroom opened and a teacher came in.

《Is Park Seonghwa in this class?》 he asked

The other teacher confirmed it, and Seonghwa held his hand up to get noticed by him.

《You need to come with me》 the teacher said

Seonghwa nodded and got up. He and Heeyoung exchanged a confused look and then he walked out of the class with the teacher.

《Where are we going?》 he asked

《The principal asked me to bring you to his office》

《Why?》

《I don't know either》

They walked to the principal's office and once they arrived, the teacher told Seonghwa to get in and went away. Seonghwa knocked on the door.

《Come in》

He opened the door and walked into the office. He tensed right away, when he noticed his brother sitting on one of the two chairs in front of the principal's desk. Seonghwa sat down too, ignoring Seongwoo.

《Why was I called?》 he asked

《Your father called to talk about how you're doing at school》 the principal said 《He asked me to give you some projects to take part in, because he thinks you're not motivated enough》

Seonghwa felt his blood boil but tried to stay calm, at least in front of the principal. With the corner of his eye he could see Seongwoo smirking in satisfaction.

《I'll need you to participate in some of the projects your brother is working on》 he said 《I'll let you choose what you prefer, but you need to do something. I can't accept no as an answer》

His father was one of the biggest sponsors of their school, and basically all the money the principal got, were from him. The principal had to do whatever Seonghwa's father told him to do, and couldn't do otherwise.

《You two can go now》 he said 《Talk it out》

Seonghwa and Seongwoo got up and walked out of the room. As soon as they were back in the hallways, Seonghwa turned to his brother.

《Get that satisfied smirk off your face》 he said, thought gritted teeth

《Why would I do it?》 the other said 《It's so funny to see people bossing you around》

《I won't do any of the projects they want me to do》 Seonghwa said

《You don't really have a choice》 Seongwoo said 《You know how father gets when you don't do what he wants》

Seonghwa could't reply and Seongwoo felt even more satisfied than before.

《Have fun》 he said, patting Seonghwa's back. He glanced at him one last time and walked away.

In the meantime, the lesson Heeyoung and Seonghwa had in common was over, and Heeyoung was walking to her next class. She didn't know where Seonghwa was and she was slightly worried about him. It was never a good sign when a teacher came to ask for you.

She was almost at her class, when she saw Seonghwa from afar. He was walking out of the building and he looked upset. Without even thinking, she ran after him.

《Seonghwa!》 she called him, but he didn't hear her

She picked up her pace and finally caught up to him. She reached out and gently grabbed his arm to stop him. He turned around and glared at her.

《Is everything alright?》 she asked 《What happened with that teacher?》

《Leave me alone》 he replied, coldly 

《What's wrong?》 she asked 《You can come to me if you need to talk, you know?》

《Can't you mind your business for once?》 he snapped

Heeyoung was taken back.

《You're always so nosey about other people's lives》 he said 《Why don't you focus on yourself for once, and stop bothering everyone?》

《I just want to help》 she said in a whisper

《I never asked for your help》 he said 《I never even wanted you around》

Heeyoung noticed the angry look in his eyes and for a second it scared her. Seonghwa glared at her and then walked away, leaving her shaking in the middle of the schoolyard.


	6. ƒινє

Seonghwa was upset with his father and with Seongwoo, but he was especially upset with himself. Only during the night he finally realized how he reacted when Heeyoung asked him what was wrong, and he beat himself up over it. Because of it and because of the stress he was feeling, he didn't manage to sleep that night.

The next day, when he went to school, he was nervous about seeing Heeyoung. When he entered the class she was already there, sitting in the seat next to him, but she had her head on the desk and she was turned to the window. He sat next to her. He didn't know if she noticed him or not, but she didn't turn around. For the whole lesson she stayed like that, without moving. Seonghwa knew she wasn't sleeping, and that mean she was trying to avoid any kind of contact or interaction with him. When the bell rang at the end of the lesson, she quickly took her backpack and ran out of the class before anyone else.

Jane and the two boys looked at her with sympathy. She was looking sad and she was barely talking. They didn't know exactly what had happened, because Heeyoung didn't want to tell all the details, but they knew that her and Seonghwa had an argument and that he was mad at her for something. Heeyoung felt bad for minding his business, and she was mad that she made Seonghwa upset.

During lunch they all went to the canteen together, as usual. This time, Seonghwa was sitting at his usual table, but he wasn't turning his back to the door. He was actually sat on the other side of the table, where he was able to see everyone that entered the room.

He noticed Heeyoung and her group while they were queuing up for the food, and he was looking at them when they turned around to look for a table. Heeyoung made eye contact with Seonghwa for a short second, and quickly turned away. Seonghwa was hoping she would sit next to him anyway, but that day for the first time since she began going to that school, she ignored him and sat with her group at another table.

Seonghwa had to admit that it made him feel even worse about what he did. He never thought he could get her to actually ignore him, and even thought he was sure it was what he wanted at first, he realized he actually wanted her around. He wanted her to reach out for him like she usually did.

After lunch, Seonghwa just couldn't take it anymore and decided to finally approach her. Heeyoung had just opened her locker to take a book, when she felt someone next to her.

《Can we talk?》

She turned around to see Seonghwa standing next to her. Heeyoung was hurt by what he told her the day before, but she still didn't feel like turning him down. She closed the locker and turned to him, nodding.

《I'm sorry about what I said yesterday》 he apologized

She looked at him with surprise. She wasn't expecting him to apologize.

《I did found you annoying at first, because I'm not used to having people around and you were a bit too bright for my liking》 he explained 《But I actually enjoy your company now》

《You do?》 she asked

《Yes》 he replied 《You're nice to have around》

《I was pretty sure you hated me》

《I don't. I just have a terrible character and I don't know how to deal with people》 he said 《Yesterday I was just angry. I promise I didn't mean it》

《Thank you》 she said, genuinely touched 《Thank you for telling me this》

He still wasn't satisfied. There was something he felt the need to do.

《Would you like to start again?》 he asked, hesitant 《Would you like to be friends?》

She smiled and he relaxed a bit.

《Of course》 she said

《Hello, I'm Seonghwa》 he said, reaching out with his hand

Heeyoung took his hand and shook it.

《I'm Heeyoung》 she replied 《Nice to meet you》

They smiled at each other and for a second it felt like the world around them didn't exist.

——

To start all over again, Seonghwa suggested going to a cafe after school and spend some time together. He didn't want to go home yet, and he also wanted to be with Heeyoung a little longer, so it was the perfect deal.

After the lessons, Seonghwa waited for Heeyoung in the schoolyard, and they walked to a nearby cafe together. She was really happy that he wasn't mad at her anymore, which made her almost jump while walking. He found her cute but he didn't tell her anything.

When they arrived at the cafe Seonghwa paid for her order too, despite her complaints. They sat in a corner of the place, next to the window where they could see the people passing by.

Heeyoung really could't help being curious, but she was scared to ask him about the day before. She was worried he was going to get mad again. Seonghwa noticed that she was spacing out a little and that she was nervous about something.

《What's wrong?》 he asked

《I want to ask something...》 she replied, hesitant

He sighed.

《It's about yesterday, isn't it?》

She nodded.

《What made you upset?》 she asked, then adding: 《Other than me》

He chuckled a little.

《You didn't upset me》 he said 《I just took it out on you, wrongly》

She slightly smiled at his attempt at making her feel better.

《The teacher that called for me brought me to the principal's office》 he said

《Did you get in trouble for something?》

He shook his head.

《My father complained about me to the principal》

《Why would he do that?》

《He thinks I'm incompetent and do nothing all day long》 he replied 《So he forced the principal to force me into a project with my brother》

《Maybe it could be fun》 she tried to reason

《Not if my brother is in there》 he mumbled, more to himself

She didn't exactly know all the story behind their rivalry, but she knew it was better not to ask. She was well aware that family situations were always a hot topic. If Seonghwa was okay with sharing it with her, she would have been there to listen to him, but she didn't want to pressure him.

《Tell me about yourself》 he said, out of the blue

Heeyoung was taken back for a little while. She wasn't used to people being interested about her.

《Why did you change school?》 he asked, seeing she wasn't talking

《My mom changed job and we had to move here, since our old house was too far for her to go to work and come back every day》

《Are you enjoying your time here, or did you like your old school more?》 he asked, sipping his drink

《I didn't exactly have friends in my old school》 she replied 《Here I met so many interesting people. Jane's fierce and funny, San and Wooyoung are sweet and bright, and then... there's you》

Seonghwa glanced at her and saw the light pink on her cheeks.

《What about me?》 he asked, teasingly

《You're reserved and quiet, but you're actually sensitive and, dare I say, cute》

《I'm cute?》 he asked, amused

《You are》

He chuckled and shook his head.

They stayed in that cafe for another hour, talking about themselves and finally getting to know each other better. They were enjoying each other's company so much, that they failed to notice Seongwoo watching them from the other side of the road.


	7. ѕιχ

《He's really sweet》 Heeyoung admitted, blushing

《Seonghwa? Sweet?》 Wooyoung asked, surprised 《I never thought I would hear those two words in the same sentence》

Jane lightly smacked him in the back of his head.

They were all at San's house to spend some time together. Jane and Heeyoung were sitting on the couch while San and Wooyoung were sitting on the floor, facing them. They all noticed, during that day at school, that Heeyoung and Seonghwa were talking to each other again, and they got curious. That's why Heeyoung then explained to them that they had made up, and that they went out for a while the day before.

《You like him, don't you?》 Jane asked

《Maybe》 Heeyoung replied

《I think he likes you too》 San replied

《How do you know that?》 she asked

《Well, he's only nice when you're around》

Heeyoung stopped a moment to think about it. Seonghwa was actually less grumpy if she was around, but she wasn't sure that it was a sign that he liked her. She turned around to Jane.

《How do I find out if a boy likes me?》 she asked her

《How would I know? I'm lesbian》 she replied, shrugging

《You are?》 Wooyoung asked, surprised

《Yeah, is there a problem?》 she replied, getting a bit defensive

Jane didn't like hiding her sexuality, but at the same time she knew that in Korea being gay wasn't seen as a good thing.

《Of course not》 Wooyoung replied

Jane relaxed and San smiled at her reassuringly.

《You two are boys》 Jane said to the two boys in front of her 《Why don't you tell her how boys behave when they like someone?》

San and Wooyoung looked at each other, lost.

《Well, it depends on the person》 San said, hesitant

《Some boys turn into gentlemen and some boys become annoying》 Wooyoung said

《He becomes annoying》 San said, pointing at his friend. Wooyoung pretended to be offended.

《I don't think Seonghwa likes me》 Heeyoung said

《Why?》 they all asked

《He's on a whole other level》 she mumbled, pouting

《What's that supposed to mean?》 Jane asked

《He's handsome and he's got that cool aura》 she tried to explain 《I can't compete. I'm a potato》

《An adorable, sweet potato》 San corrected her

《There's nothing wrong with being a potato》 Jane said 《Potatoes are nice》

Heeyoung chuckled at their clumsy attempts at making her feel better.

《Don't put yourself down like that》 Wooyoung intervened 《If I have to be honest, I think it's him who's out of your league》

《Don't be harsh on him》 she said, getting defensive over Seonghwa

《She's completely smitten》 Jane said, shaking her head

San got up and sat on the couch, between Jane and Heeyoung.

《Don't worry, everything's gonna turn out fine》 he told her, putting his arm around her

Heeyoung smiled at him, silently thanking him.

-

The next morning Heeyoung was walking to school thinking about ways to get closer to Seonghwa. She wanted him to like her, but she thought it wouldn't have been possible, so she told herself she could settle with being good friends with him. She knew even just being friends with him would have been a big achievement, so se decided to focus on that first.

She was entering the schoolyard, when someone started walking next to her. She turned around feeling the presence of someone, and she was surprised seeing it was Seonghwa's brother. He smiled at her.

《You're Heeyoung, right?》 Seongwoo asked

《Yes》 she replied, confused

They both stopped walking.

《You're a friend of my brother, aren't you?》

《Yes, I guess》

She then remembered that she hadn't apologized yet for mistaking him for Seonghwa the other day.

《I'm sorry about that day when I stopped you》 she quickly said 《I didn't know that Seonghwa had a twin brother》

《It's fine》 he replied, giving her his most charming smile 《I didn't mind you stopping me at all》

She frowned in confusion. She couldn't really understand why he suddenly approached her, or why he was talking to her with... that tone.

《Since you're my brother's friend, I think it would be nice if we got along as well》 he said

 _But they don't even like each other_ , she thought.

《Wave at me when you see me around, sweetheart》 Seongwoo said 《We might get close》

He winked at her and walked away. She stared at his back until he was out of her sight, then she shook her head to get back to reality. She kept thinking about him during the walk to her class.

When Seonghwa entered the class, the first thing he saw was a frowning Heeyoung staring at the desk in front of her, clearly focused on her thoughts. He sat next to her but he didn't even notice him. He tapped on her shoulder and she jumped on her seat.

《Are you okay?》 he asked, worried

《Yes》 she replied, sitting straight

《Did something happen?》

《No I just... I met Seongwoo this morning》 she said

Seonghwa tensed next to her, already fearing the worst.

《How did you meet him?》 he asked

《He approached me while I was walking to class》 she said, shrugging

That meant he purposely went looking for her. Seonghwa knew it wasn't a good sign.

《What did he say to you?》

《He said that since I'm your friend, I should get along with him as well》

《I don't like the sound of that》 he mumbled to himself

He looked at Heeyoung one more time, noticing she was clearly still thinking about it. He could tell she wasn't aware of his brother's intention, and for that he was glad for the time being, but he was worried. He was worried about what his brother's plans would be. He was scared that Seongwoo this time wouldn't have tried to just hurt him, but hurt her as well.


	8. ѕєνєη

Seonghwa was getting anxious thinking about his brother getting closer to Heeyoung. He didn't want her to get hurt, but he knew that if his brother already decided to do it, there was no way to avoid it. All he could attempt to do was try to reduce the possible damages as much as he could.

That day, when he went home after school, he thought about what he could do to get Seongwoo to stay away from Heeyoung. He decided to comfort him about it first, also to hear what he had to say. He didn't want to argue with him as soon as they arrived home, so he waited after dinner to open that topic.

The twins sat down at the table in front of their parents, as usual, and dinner started.

《So, Seonghwa》 his father started to say 《Has the principal talked to you yet?》

《He did》 Seonghwa replied, trying to hide his annoyance

Seongwoo turned to his brother, raising an eyebrow as to challenge him.

《Have you decided what project you'll take part in?》 their father asked

Seonghwa was tempted to tell him that he wasn't going to do anything, but he knew he couldn't. The consequences would have been too much for him to handle, so he sucked his pride and gave in.

《Maybe I'll join the dancing club》 Seonghwa admitted

Seongwoo stiffed next to him. The dance club was Seongwoo's favorite activity at school, and the idea of having his brother with him during that time wasn't nice at all.

《Well, it's better than nothing》 the mother admitted

《He can't join》 Seongwoo said

《Seongwoo》 the father called him with a stern tone 《Seonghwa will join your club, and that's final》

Seongwoo glared at his brother, and then kept eating. It was a small win for Seonghwa, but it was still win. During the rest of the dinner the atmosphere was tense, and anyone barely talked. Of course, their parents asked Seongwoo to keep them updated with his progress at school, while they didn't care about asking Seonghwa, but he didn't mind. 

When they were done eating, their father went to his studio to do some work, while their mother went to watch tv in the living room. Seonghwa and Seongwoo, instead, both went upstairs with the intention of locking themselves in their rooms. Seongwoo was about to open the door of his door, when Seonghwa decided to talk to him.

《I was told you talked with Heeyoung》 he said

Seongwoo stopped and turned around, already with a satisfied smirk on his face.

《She's a really nice girl》 he said

Seonghwa felt his blood boil.

《Seongwoo... this rivalry is between us. Don't get her into this》

Seongwoo tilted his head and studied his brother's expression with curiosity.

《Why do you care about her so much?》

《I don't》 he replied 《I just don't want anyone else to get hurt because of us》

《You asking me to let her be, just makes me want to mess with her even more》

Seonghwa took a step forward, clenching his fists.

《If you hurt her I won't let you get away with it. I won't sit still》

《But that's exactly what I want》 Seongwoo replied, grinning 《I want a reaction from you, because otherwise, where's the fun in winning?》

Seonghwa was disgusted by his brother.

《How did you become such a person? You weren't like this when we were little. What happened to you?》

《It's clear you still haven't understood how this world works》 Seongwoo told him 《Only the strong survive》

《How are you so sure that you're the strong one?》 Seonghwa asked, with a challenging tone

《I guess we'll have to find out》

Said that, Seongwoo turned around and entered his room, slamming the door behind him.

Seonghwa needed to do something. He couldn't just watch Seongwoo break Heeyoung. He went in his room as well, and that night he couldn't sleep because of how much he was overthinking the situation.

-

The next day at school Seonghwa was extra careful with Heeyoung, as if she was made of glass. When they were sitting next to each other during the lessons, he often glanced at her with a worried look, and sometimes she noticed him and smiled at him, confused about what was going on in his mind. He had asked her if Seongwoo approached her again, and luckily she said he hadn't, but that didn't make Seonghwa feel better.

Then, during the lesson that Jane, Wooyoung, San and Heeyoung shared, the teacher was absent so they let them go until the next lesson. They walked out of the building and sat in a bench in the school yard.

《Heeyoung, is it true that you talked with Seongwoo?》 Wooyoung asked

《How do you know?》 she asked confused

《A girl in my history calls said she saw you two together yesterday's morning》

《Yeah we talked for a short while》 she replied

《Did you talk to him, or did he approach you?》 Jane asked

《He approached me》

The three looked at each other, worried.

《You need to be careful》 San said

《Why?》

Heeyoung was confused.

《Seongwoo might be popular and all, but he doesn't have nice reputation with girls》 Jane said

《He treats girls like toys》 Wooyoung explained

《Oh》 Heeyoung said, finally understanding what the problem was

《Does Seonghwa know that you talked with his brother?》 Jane asked

《Yes, I told him》

《And... how did he react?》

《Well, I don't know, I didn't really notice his reaction》 she confessed, embarrassed 《I was too focus on thinking about the conversation I had with Seongwoo》

Her three friends were all lost in their thoughts.

《Why do you ask?》 Heeyoung said

《Seonghwa knows his brother better than anyone》 San said 《If there's someone who knows if Seongwoo is up to something, it's him》

《I will try to ask him if he thinks his brother is suspicious》 Heeyoung said

《I'm afraid the answer will be yes》 Wooyoung admitted

The other two looked just as worried as Wooyoung, and it made Heeyoung anxious. How bad could Seongwoo be, that everyone was worrying so much?


	9. єιgнт

Seonghwa and Heeyoung had the lesson before lunch in common, so after that, they walked to the canteen together.

《Jane, Wooyoung and San asked me about Seongwoo earlier》 she said, trying to get to the topic without making him upset 《Wooyoung said a girl in his class saw us together》

《There is always someone that notices everything Seongwoo does》 he replied, annoyed

《They said I should be careful of him》

Seonghwa turned to her. He knew she would have understood sooner or later, but he wanted her to be oblivious for a little longer. But it was impossible at this point.

《They're right, you should be careful》 he said

《Why?》

《He'll might want... to play with you》 he replied, hesitant

《But why would he do that?》

Seonghwa was torn. He didn't want her to know the truth. He didn't want her to know it was his fault that his brother wanted to play with her feelings, because he didn't want her to hate him for it and at the same because he didn't want to expose the way he felt about her.

Seonghwa had to admit he felt emotionally attached to Heeyoung, despite him trying not to fall for her charm, but he knew Heeyoung's personality was naturally bright and that she was nice to everyone, which made him think she didn't have any special feeling for him. He was sure that she only thought of him as a friend.

《He likes to mess with people》 Seonghwa replied

They arrived at the canteen and bought their food. They walked to the usual table and sat next to their three friends, who were already there waiting for them to arrive.

Jane looked at Heeyoung, subtly pointing at Seonghwa, as to ask her if she talked with him or not. Heeyoung nodded and mouthed "later" to her, because she didn't want to talk about it at lunch in front of him.

They were quietly eating, chatting from time to time, when someone approached their table. Seonghwa felt a hand on his shoulder and he tensed, unconsciously already knowing who it was.

《Hello Heeyoung》 Seongwoo said 《Hello brother》

Seonghwa glared at him.

《Why are you here?》 he asked thought gritted teeth

《I'm here to invite you all to a party》 Seongwoo said 《Tomorrow's night our parents will be out for a business trip so I'm organizing a party. You're all welcome to join us》

He looked at Heeyoung while saying the last part, and it didn't go unnoticed by Seonghwa. He clenched his fists.

《Will you come?》 Seongwoo asked to Heeyoung

《I don't know》 she answered, taken back

She wasn't expecting to be invited to a party.

《You should come》 Seongwoo said 《I would really like to have the chance to enjoy your company》

《That's it》 Seonghwa said

He got up so fast that his chair fell back. He turned to his brother and glared at him.

《Get lost》 he told him

《Calm down, Hwa》 he replied

He looked back at the table and smiled at Heeyoung.

《I'll look forward to seeing you at my house》 he said

He winked at her and walked away. Seonghwa was breathing heavily, clenching his jaw so hard that it probably hurt him. Heeyoung got up and walked to him, worried.

《Seonghwa...》 she said, putting a hand on his arm

He pushed her hand away and started walking away. Heeyoung quickly looked at her friends, then ran after Seonghwa. She followed him to the desert hallway.

《Seonghwa, wait》 she said

《Go away》 he said 《Stop following me》

《I just want to understand why you're so upset and what I can do to help》

《You can't do anything》

《Why? What's the problem?》 she asked 《How did Seongwoo upset you so much? I don't understand》

《He's doing it on purpose!》 he snapped 《He likes to play with my emotions and mess with the people around me. Now he knows I like you, so he's trying to take you away from me. He never wants me to have anything good and he always tries to ruing my life in some way. He's-》

Seonghwa couldn't finish his outburst, because Heeyoung tiptoed and pressed her lips on his. The kiss was short, but it was enough to shut him up.

《Shut up for a second, you big drama queen》 she said 《I like you too》

Seonghwa looked at her surprised, but as soon as he realized what happened and what she had just told him, he put a hand behind her neck and puller her closer, to kiss her again. This time the kiss was much longer and deeper. None of them cared about the fact that they were at school, because in that moment they were the only thing that mattered. When Seonghwa broke the kiss he didn't step back. Instead, he pressed his forehead to hers and stayed there for a while, enjoying the moment with eyes closed.

It didn't seem real to him. The feeling of her lips was still lingering on his, but he still couldn't realize how it could be real. He never thought someone would like him, but he especially never thought that the girl he liked could like him back.

《I've been dreaming to do that for a while》 he whispered to her

Heeyoung slightly blushed. Seonghwa finally leaned back and looked at her, smiling when he noticed the pink on her cheeks.

《Now that we both confessed...》 he started, hesitant 《Would you be my girlfriend?》

《I'd love to》 she replied, smiley

《Have I ever told you that you're cute?》 he blurted out

Embarrassed, she hid her face in his chest and he chuckled. _When did he become so soft?_ she thought.

《I won't let my brother play with you》 he suddenly said

《I'm not worried about him》 she replied

He caressed her cheeks and she leaned into his hand. The bell rang and people started going out of the canteen to go back to their classes.

《I'll walk you to class》 he said

He took her hand and they walked together. He seemed lost in his thought, while Heeyoung couldn't help but smile while looking at him in awe. How could it be possible that he liked her?

—

That night Heeyoung went to San's house again, with the rest of her friends. It was something normal now, and she didn't mind.

《I can't believe this》 she said, hiding her face behind her hands

Jane, San and Wooyoung were standing in the middle of the living room, looking at a flustered Heeyoung who was sitting upside down on the couch, with her legs on the backrest and the head hanging down from the seat.

《Oh, I can't believe this!》 she said again, kicking the air

《It's just Seonghwa》 Jane said, confused 《Nothing different from before》

《But he's my boyfriend now!》 Heeyoung replied

She then widened her eyes, replaying the word in her head.

《Oh my god I have a boyfriend!》

San chuckled and sat next to her.

《Get up, you're getting all the blood to your head》 he said

To get her to move he started tickling her, and she jumped off the couch.

《Meanie》 she told him, pouting

《How did you get together?》 Wooyoung asked, curious 《You haven't told us that yet》

《I followed him out of the canteen, and he was upset and he started rumbling and I don't know what came over me, but I kissed him》 Heeyoung said all at once

《I knew you were a brave one》 Jane said, proud

Heeyoung groaned again and hid her face in her hand one more time.

《Oh this is going to be funny for sure》 Wooyoung said, amused at her overdramatic reaction

The three of them kept watching as Heeyoung kept replaying the confession in her head, making weird noises and getting flustered all on her own.


	10. ηιηє

During that morning's lesson, Heeyoung couldn't stop thinking about Seongwoo's invitation to that party. She knew Seonghwa didn't like the idea of her being around his brother and she didn't want to upset him, but she actually wanted to go.

《Seonghwa》 she called him

He turned to focus his attention on her.

《What are we doing tonight?》 she asked, hesitant

《Are you talking about the party?》

She nodded.

《Do you want to go?》 he asked

《I have never been to a party》 she said, embarrassed 《I was never even invited, actually》

《I don't really have a choice. It's my house so I have to be there anyway》 he said 《But if you really want to come to the party, you can. You were invited after all》

《Really?》 she asked, surprised

《Yes》 he replied 《But please never leave my side. I don't want my brother to try anything with you》

《I'll cling to you》 she replied

He chuckled at her reaction, and they both focused back on the lesson.

That afternoon Heeyoung went to Jane's house to prepare for the party. They didn't wear anything fancy, and Heeyoung didn't even put make up on, but they didn't care. They just wanted to be together before going to the twins' house. Once they finished getting changed, they waited for San and Wooyoung to pick them up, and they went together to the party.

The other three already knew about it, but Heeyoung was surprised to find out how big Seonghwa's house actually was. After all, his family was rich.

They entered the house, which was already filled with people smelling of alcohol. Right next to the door, there was Seonghwa leaning on the wall, frowning in disgust while watching a group of boys trying to play a game that would have probably gotten them hurt.

Without waiting for the others, Heeyoung run to Seonghwa and stopped in front of him, smiling happily. As soon as he saw her, he couldn't help but smile too.

《Hi》 she said

《Hi》 he replied, chuckling

She was too cute for his own good, he thought. They all walked to an empty couch and sat there together. Heeyoung, obviously, was sitting next to Seonghwa, and he had an arm on the backrest behind her.

《I'm going to dance》 Wooyoung said, before getting up and disappearing in the crowd

《Is there only alcohol here?》 Heeyoung asked Seonghwa

《Probably》 he replied 《But if you look into the fridge maybe you can find some juice》

Jane got up and reached her hand out to Heeyoung.

《Let's go see if we can find something to drink》 she said

Heeyoung glanced at Seonghwa, who just nodded to her, letting her know it was okay. He said he wanted her to stay by his side, but he wasn't worried if she was with Jane. He knew Jane was tough enough to scare away someone, if they tried to bother Heeyoung and her.

Heeyoung got up and took Jane's hand. They walked to the kitchen and Heeyoung made a disgusted face at the sight of all the alcohol bottles on the counter. Jane went to the fridge and looked thought it, trying to find something to drink. Heeyoung was watching Jane, when she felt someone tap on her shoulder.

She turned around to find a tall girl with short hair. The girl checked Heeyoung out from head to toe, then raised an eyebrow in a judging manner.

《Do you need something?》 Heeyoung asked, confused

《You're Kang Heeyoung, right?》 the girl asked

《Yes》

《I'm Eunkyung》 she introduced herself

《Nice to meet you》 Heeyoung said, reaching her hand out for the girl to shake it

Eunkyung looked at her hand, then back at Heeyoung, without shaking it. She moved her hand away embarrassed.

《So you're Seonghwa's new girlfriend, uh?》 she said, more to herself that to Heeyoung

《Yes》

Jane suddenly appeared next to Heeyoung, with a bottle of orange juice.

《Look, I found something》 she said

Jane suddenly stopped, noticing Eunkyung. Jane's expression suddenly became serious.

《What do you want?》 she asked, harshly

《Calm down, Yoon》 Eunkyung said 《I was only having a conversation with your friend》

《We don't have time for that》 Jane replied

Jane took Heeyoung's hand and dragged her out of the kitchen.

《I hate her》 Jane said under her breath

They went back to the couch Seonghwa and San were still sitting at, and sat back down. Heeyoung didn't ask Jane anything, and she didn't comment on what had just happened in the kitchen. They stayed there on the couch for a little more, then Jane locked eyes with Eunkyung who was on the other side of the room, and her mood fell again.

《Actually, it's better if I drink alcohol》 she said, getting up again

《I'm coming with you》 San said 《I need some too》

Jane and San disappeared in the crowd. Heeyoung felt Seonghwa shift in his seat, next to her, so she turned to look at him. He looked like he was in pain.

《What's wrong?》 she asked him

《I hate loud music》 he replied 《and crowded places》

Heeyoung nodded.

《The party is getting to me too》 she replied

《Should we go in my room?》 he suggested 《No one's ever allowed to go upstairs, so it's kind of quiet》

Heeyoung knew that Seonghwa's suggestion was innocent, so she said yes. Seonghwa took her hand and they got up. He guided her to the second floor and let her in his room. She looked around the room, surprised to see such a simple and bare room. She glanced at the nightstand and saw a metallic box.

《Is that my tea box?》 she asked, smiling

《No, it's not》 he quickly said, taking the box and hiding it in the drawer

Seonghwa sat on the bed and gestured for her to sit next to him.

《I met a girl in the kitchen》 Heeyoung said 《She said her name's Eunkyung》

She noticed the change in Seonghwa's expression.

《Who is she?》 she asked

《Eunkyung and Seongwoo are close》 he said 《They're not exactly a couple. They are more like friends with benefits》

《Oh...》

《What did she say to you?》

《She just asked me if I was your girlfriend, then Jane dragged me away》

Seonghwa mentally thanked Jane for getting you out of there.

《Do I have to be careful about her as well?》

Seonghwa nodded and Heeyoung sighed.

《I feel like I'm a secret agent that's trying to look out for spies》 she said 《It's tiring》

《I know》 he replied, sadly 《I'm sorry about that, it's my fault》

Heeyoung's look softened.

《It's not your fault》 she replied

《It is》 he said 《Seongwoo's plotting something, and he's doing it just because I like you》

《You shouldn't feel guilty for liking someone》 she said

She took Seonghwa's hand and intertwined their fingers. He smiled softly, looking at their hands.

They spent more than an hour there in his room, talking heart to heart about anything that came to their mind. After a while Heeyoung started yawning, but she always tried to hide it.

《You should go home》 Seonghwa said 《You're tired》

《I'm not》 she said

《You're yawing every second》 Seonghwa pointed out

《Okay, maybe I am little tired》

He got up from the bed and looked at her, waiting for her to get up too.

《I'll bring you home》 he said

《I can go on my own》 she replied

《I'm not letting you go home alone at this hour》 he said 《I'm coming with you》

Heeyoung gave in and let him bring her home. Her house was actually far from his, so they had to take Seonghwa's car. During the ride Heeyoung enjoyed the city lights and the soft music coming from the radio. The car stopped in front of her house and they both got off.

《I'll see you on Monday at school》 he said

《Goodbye》 she said

《Bye》 he replied 《Goodnight》

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. She smiled and waved at him, as he went back into his car and started the engine again. That night Heeyoung went to sleep thinking of Seonghwa, and she ended up dreaming about him too.


	11. тєη

During the weekend both Seonghwa and Heeyoung stayed home to study. Heeyoung was all fine on Saturday, but during the night she started feeling something new and weird. She knew she had seen Seonghwa the day before and that she was going to see him again in a day, but she still felt the need to see him or at least hear his voice. She missed him already. She didn't want to seem clingy or scare Seonghwa away, so she held herself back.

Sunday's morning she woke and reached out for her phone that was on the nightstand. As soon as she saw that she had an unread message, she jumped on the bed. It was from Seonghwa.

 **from seonghwa** : "how's it going?"

Heeyoung chuckled. It sounded awkward even through text.

 **from heeyoung:** "I just woke up"

 **from seonghwa** : "are you doing something today?"

 **from heeyoung** : "not really"

She felt hope grow in her chest. Maybe he missed her too.

 **from seonghwa** : "should we go on a date?"

She screeched, jumping happily on her bed.

 **from heeyoung** : "sounds great"

Seonghwa texted her the time he was going to pass by to pick her up, and she basically ran out of the bed to have breakfast and get ready. She was really excited, so she put some music on and sang out loud for the whole morning.

When the doorbell rang, she looked in the mirror one last time trying to fix her hair, then she ran to open the door. When she opened it, she found a casual Seonghwa standing in front of her. He was wearing a simple hoodie, but he looked so handsome. He smiled at her and she smiled back. He took her hand and they went to his car.

《Where are we going?》 she asked him

《It's a surprise》 he replied

Seonghwa started the engine and turned on the radio. During the car ride Heeyoung was nervous and excited and to relax a little she decided to sing along the songs that were on the radio. From time to time Seonghwa sang along too, and she was surprised at how good his voice actually sounded.

Finally, Seonghwa's car stopped and they got off. When Heeyoung saw where they were, she couldn't stop smiling.

《Lotte World?》 she asked him 《Isn't this where couple go?》

《We are a couple after all》 he replied shrugging

Heeyoung's smile became even bigger and he couldn't help but smile as well.

《Let's go》 he said

He took her hand and they walked together to the entrance. Seonghwa payed for both their tickets, even though Heeyoung complained about it. They started with going to food stands, because it was almost lunch and they were both hungry. They bought hot dogs and smoothies and sat down on a bench, looking at all the couple passing by. Heeyoung noticed that most of them were wearing cute headbands, or at least some matching clothes. She turned around to look at Seonghwa.

《What?》 he asked, flustered by the sudden attention

《Can we buy headbands?》 she asked

《I'm not wearing a headband》 he replied

Heeyoung pouted and sat back straight. She wasn't going to give up just yet, in fact, she gave him time to finish eating and then she took his hand, dragging him to the nearest shop. She took a headband with a bear on it and put it on.

《How do I look?》 she asked Seonghwa

《You look like a kid》 he replied chuckling

She glared at him and changed it, putting on a headband with bunny ears. Before he could comment, she took another one and tiptoed to put in on Seonghwa's head.

《What the...》

She stepped back and looked at him with a satisfied smirk.

《You look good》 she said

He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed.

《I look ridiculous》

She went next to him so that they were both in the reflection of the mirror.

《Like this we look like we are clearly a couple》 she said 《Didn't you come to this place for couples, just to show off that we are together as well?》

He smiled softly at her.

《You know I wouldn't do this for anyone else, right?》 he said

Heeyoung nodded happily.

Seonghwa finally gave in and they bought the headbands. Hand in hand, they went on the first attractions. Seonghwa brought her to the haunted house, secretly hoping she would be so scared that she would cling to him, but instead she laughed the whole time, leaving Seonghwa as shocked as ever. They went on few rollercoasters and she held Seonghwa's hand out of excitement, which he was grateful for.

《Can we go on the ferris wheel?》 she asked him

He wasn't so sure about the idea. He didn't like height that much. Sure, he went on rollercoasters, but it was different. When you were there it was all about the speed and you had no time to look around or even think about the fact you were high over the ground. But he didn't want to seem a scaredy cat, so he nodded.

They sat down on their seat and the wheel started again. The fact that Seonghwa was looking down anxiously didn't go unnoticed by Heeyoung.

《Are you okay?》 she asked

《Yeah》 he replied

《You're afraid of heights, aren't you?》

《What? No, of course not》 he quickly lied

《Why did you agree to this if you are afraid?》

《I'm not afraid》 he repeated

She put her hand on his cheek and gently turned his face around. Before he could talk she kissed him. He relaxed and kissed her back, losing himself in the softness of her lips. When she pulled back, his eyes were still closed.

《Did it help?》 she asked

He nodded slowly. She took his hand in hers and intertwined their fingers.

《Thank you》 he said

《Thank you for doing this with me despite your fear》

She pecked his lips one more time, and then she tried to talk to him to distract him until they could get off again.

After that, they tried to play at the stands where you can win plushies and games, but Seonghwa managed to win only once. He let Heeyoung choose a plushie and she chose a big bear.

At the end of the day they went back in the car, and during their journey Heeyoung was so tired that she dozed off hugging the plushie. When they arrived in front of their house, Seonghwa gently woke her up.

《We're here》 he said

She woke up and took her seatbelt off.

《I'll see you tomorrow at school》 she said

《See you tomorrow》

He leaned closer to peck her lips. She smiled happily and got off the car. Before entering her house, she turned around and waved at him with the bear's paw. He chuckled and waved back, wondering how he got so lucky to meet someone like Heeyoung.


	12. єℓєνєη

《What did you do during the weekend?》 Jane asked, not really because she thought Heeyoung did something in particular but just to start the conversation

《I went on a date》 she replied, shyly

Jane and her two best friends suddenly turned to look at Heeyoung, shocked.

《Seonghwa brought you on a date?》 Wooyoung asked

Heeyoung nodded.

《To Lotte World》 she said

San's mouth opened in surprise.

《I am speechless》 Wooyoung replied

《I'm not》 Jane said

The two boys looked at her.

《Why not?》 they asked

《I mean, I could have imagined》 she replied 《Haven't you guys noticed how soft he became for Heeyoung?》

Heeyoung blushed.

《Let's stop talking about this》 she begged, embarrassed

The three chuckled at her reaction and started telling what they did during the weekend. Heeyoung tried to pay attention to what they were saying, but she occasionally got distracted thinking about Seonghwa. She felt stupid for thinking about him so often but she couldn't help it. She impatiently waited for lunch, because it meant she would finally see him again. When the bell rang she almost ran to the canteen, forcing her friends to speed up to match her pace.

During the queue for the food, Heeyoung felt someone tap her shoulder. When she turned around she noticed the tall girl from the party.

《I'm sitting with some friends at lunch》 Eunkyung said 《Would you like to join us?》

《Actually, she is sitting with us》 Jane interfered

《Oh don't be rude》 Eunkyung told her 《I'm just offering her a choice》

Before Heeyoung or Jane could reply, Eunkyung talked again, this time to Heeyoung.

《And Seongwoo feels bad for not having the chance to spend time with you during the party》

Jane scoffed, rolling her eyes.

《Thank you for the offer, but I want to have lunch with my friends》 Heeyoung replied politely

Eunkyung looked at her with disgust.

《If you insist》 he replied

She turned around and walked away, giving one last glare to Jane.

《Seongwoo is asking her to do his dirty work now?》 San asked Wooyoung, who only shrugged

They took their food and went to their table, where Seonghwa was already waiting for them. He had noticed Eunkyung approaching Heeyoung, but when she sat down next to him he decided not to talk about it.

《We were told you brought Heeyoung on a date》 Wooyoung teased

Seonghwa glared at him.

《And to Lotte World!》 he continued 《That was a cheesy move》

《Shut up》 he replied

Heeyoung felt like she was being watched so she looked around and met Seongwoo's eyes. Eunkyung, who was sitting next to him, leaned close to whisper something in his ear, none of their stares ever leaving Heeyoung. She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. Seonghwa took her hand, catching her attention.

《Don't mind them》 he told her softly 《They're trying to make you uncomfortable》

《They're succeeding》 she replied

《Focus on me, not on them》

Heeyoung was about to thank him, when San spoke.

《You two are too cute for my sanity》

《Seonghwa's really gotten soft for you》 Wooyoung said to Heeyoung, pointing at their hands

Seonghwa took his hand away, earning a confused look from Heeyoung.

《I never thought I'd see this side of you》 Wooyoung continued, smirking

Seonghwa had enough of his teasing. Upset, he got up and walked away without saying anything. Jane smacked Wooyoung in the back of the head and he looked at her confused. Heeyoung quickly got up as well and run after Seonghwa, trying to catch him before he could disappear.

《Wait!》 she yelled, trying to ran after him

He wanted to go away and be left alone, but he realized he was being grumpy for nothing so he forced himself to stop and wait for Heeyoung.

《Why did you walk away?》 she asked, once she caught up to him

《Wooyoung kept teasing me and I...》 he stopped, sighing 《It's already hard for me to show affection and then he just...》

He was too frustrated to finish his sentences, but Heeyoung understood anyway.

《Don't stop being sweet to me just because they tease you》 she said, taking his hand 《He's just doing it to get a reaction from you, but he doesn't mean anything bad with it. Wooyoung's a good person. He just enjoys being annoying》

Seonghwa chuckled at the last part.

《I need to get used to this》 he replied

《I will help you》 she said 《And with me you either show affection, or you show affection. You don't really have choice》

He cupped her cheeks and pecked lips.

《Every time you do something I have the urge to kiss you》 he admitted

She blushed a bit.

《Every time you do something I have the urge to hug you》 she replied

《I already gave you the kiss》 he said, raising an eyebrow 《I'm waiting for the hug》

She smiled, wrapping her arms around him.

《You're comfy》 she said

《You too》

He couldn't hold his smile back while hugging her back. He looked up and accidentally met his brother's gaze, who was standing at the end of the corridor. Seonghwa became upset again right away, while he looked as Seongwoo walked away.

Heeyoung broke the hug and looked at Seonghwa. She noticed the change of mood and looked in the direction where he was looking, not seeing anyone.

《Is everything okay?》 she asked worried

《Yes, sorry》 he said, focusing again on her 《Should we go back to the canteen?》

《If you're ready to hear Wooyoung remarks again...》

《His remarks aren't what worries me at the moment》 he replied, more to himself than to Heeyoung

She frowned in confusion, but decided not to ask anything. He smiled at her to silently tell her not to worry, and they went back to the canteen to finish their lunch.


	13. тωєℓνє

The next morning, Heeyoung woke up finding out she was on her period, and her cramps were so bad that she could barely get off the bed. She tried to take some pain killers and get ready for school, but she was feeling too sick for any of that, so her mother let her stay home. She was too focused on not dying of pain that she went back to bed, forgetting to text anyone saying that she wasn't going to school.

When Seonghwa went to school, he was surprised that Heeyoung wasn't there. They were supposed to have the first lesson together, but she was nowhere to be seen. He quickly texted Jane to ask if she heard from her or if they were together, but she didn't have any news from Heeyoung either. Worried, he texted her asking if everything was alright.

Since she wasn't paying attention to her phone, she didn't notice the texts. One hour later she woke up again, at the sound of her ringtone. She sleepily took her phone, barely even opening her eyes.

《Hello?》 she answered

《Where are you?》 Seonghwa asked, worried

《Home》

《Is everything alright?》

《Yeah, just... girls problems》 she said, embarrassed

《Oh》

From the other side of the phone she could only hear silence. Seonghwa didn't know what to say, and he was also a bit embarrassed about it. He never talked about periods before.

《Can I... do something to help?》 he asked, hesitant

《Not really》 she replied 《It's a one day thing. I'm gonna be fine tomorrow》

《Oh okay. Then, take care?》

He mentally face palmed at how awkward he sounded. Heeyoung only chuckled in return.

《I'll see you tomorrow》 she replied

She hung up and laid back down. In the mean time, Seonghwa was thinking of something he could possibly do to help, because he didn't like the idea of Heeyoung not feeling well. Quickly, he googled "periods" and tried to read as much as he could about it, trying to find out what exactly could be the symptoms and what could help to make her feel better.

Around one hour later, he was standing in front of her house, not sure if he should knock or not. He took a deep breath and finally knocked on the door, nervous. When the door opened and in front of him he found a woman, instead of Heeyoung, he panicked internally.

《Hello?》 she said 《How can I help you?》

《I'm here to see Heeyoung》 he replied

《Who are you?》 her mother asked

《I'm Park Seonghwa》 he said 《Her boyfriend》

《Boyfriend?》 she asked, surprised 《Wait here a second》

She closed the door again, leaving Seonghwa standing stiff in front of it. Heeyoung's mother went to her daughter's room and opened it.

《Honey?》 she called

《Yes?》

《There's a guy outside》 she said 《He says he's your boyfriend》

Heeyoung quickly jumped up from the bed, then doubled in pain at the sudden movement. Her mother looked at her with an amused look.

《Seonghwa's here?》 she asked, more to herself than to her mother

《Yes》

《Oh god》

《You never mentioned a boyfriend》

《It's kind of a recent thing...》 Heeyoung said, hesitant

《I'll let him in》 she replied, shaking her head while smiling

Heeyoung slightly panicked, realizing she was wearing her pajama and that she probably looked like a zombie. She picked up all the clothes that were on the floor and threw them into the closet, then she looked in the mirror and fixed her hair a bit. Right when she was done, the door of her bedroom opened again.

《Hi》 said Seonghwa, shyly

《Hi》 she replied 《Why aren't you at school?》

《I don't know much about periods and I tried to do some researches》 he started 《I bought you something and thought I could keep you company》

He opened his backpack and took out some chocolate bars and a warm pack. As soon as she saw the chocolate she jumped on it. He chuckled.

《Thank you》 she said, touched

《How do you want to spend the time?》

《We could watch a movie》 she proposed

Heeyoung told him to settle on her bed and she took her laptop. She laid down next to him and put the laptop on her legs, logging into Netflix. She wanted Seonghwa to choose a movie, but he kept telling her that everything was fine for him so she ended up choosing something that she wanted to see. Halfway through the movie though, Heeyoung fell asleep. Seonghwa took the computer from her legs and put in on his, so that she would be more comfortable. She moved in her sleep and snuggled closed to him, wrapping an arm around him and hiding her face in his chest. He smiled softly at her and put an arm around her shoulders, which earned him a satisfied groan from her.

Not long after, the door of the bedroom opened a bit and Heeyoung's mother peeked into the room.

《She fell asleep》 he said, noticing she was trying to understand what her daughter was doing

《Are you staying for lunch?》 she asked him

《I don't want to disturb》 he replied

《You're not disturbing》 she said 《It would be nice to have you for lunch. It's gonna be a chance for us to know each other》

Seonghwa felt slightly nervous about it, but he accepted the invitation.

《I'll come back to call you when the food's ready》 she said

《Thank you》

She walked away, closing the door behind her. Heeyoung moved a little, slowly waking up because of Seonghwa and her mother talking.

《What's going on?》 she asked, still half sleeping

《I'm staying for lunch》 he replied, caressing her head

《Hm》 she said, going back to sleep right after

Instead of going back to watching the movie, which was long forgotten by now, he took some time to look at Heeyoung. She looked so peaceful and comfortable, sleeping cuddled to him. She was sleeping and she was wearing her pajama, but to Seonghwa she looked so beautiful. He thought, once again, that he was lucky to have her in his life. He couldn't even think about what he could have done if something ever happened to her.

When it was lunch time, Mrs. Kang came into the room again to say that the food was ready, and Seonghwa woke Heeyoung up. They went to the living room, where hot and delicious food was waiting for them.

《I'm starving》 Heeyoung said, sitting down

Seonghwa nervously looked at Heeyoung, then at her mother, waiting for them to start eating before he did.

《Come on, don't be shy》 Mrs. Kang said 《Eat up》

He thanked her for the food and quietly started eating. He wasn't used to eating with other people, especially with other adults around. The meals he had with his family weren't exactly a good way to learn manners. He was worried he would do something wrong.

《So Seonghwa...》 Mrs. Kang started 《Are you in the same school as Heeyoung?》

《Yes, we share a couple of classes》

《What is it that you enjoy doing in your free time?》

《I like music and creative writing》 he replied, a bit embarrassed

《So you're the sensitive type, uh?》

《He's usually grumpy, but's with me he's very sweet》 Heeyoung said

《I can see that》 her mom replied, smiling

She couldn't deny that she was surprised when she realized he was there to take care of her because he knew she was on her period. And she was even more surprised to see how comfortable Heeyoung was around him. She knew that she never had a boyfriend before and she knew she wasn't one to give her heart to just anybody, so knowing that she was finally in a relationship meant that the boy was somehow special.

To not make it seem like she was interrogating him, Mrs. Kang tried to talk a bit about her work with Heeyoung and then she asked her how school was and other useless informations that kept the conversation going. Slowly, Seonghwa relaxed and managed to eat and talk without looking like he was about to get killed if he did something wrong.

At the end of the lunch, Seonghwa helped Mrs. Kang to clean the table, despite her attempts at telling him he didn't need to do anything. After that, he announced that he had to go, and Heeyoung was sad about it because she liked the time she spent with him, even if she was had been sleeping for most it.

《You can come back whenever you want》 her mother told him 《You're always welcome here》

Heeyoung smiled happily and Seonghwa thanked her. She walked him to the door to say goodbye.

《I'm already feeling better, so I'll come back to school tomorrow》 she said

《Good, cause Mr Choi's lessons are too boring without you》

She tiptoed to peck his lips.

《Bye》 she said

《Bye》

She closed the door and turned around, noticing her mother looking at her.

《You got yourself a nice boy, I see》 she said

《I did》 Heeyoung replied, blushing

《I'm happy for you》

She hugged her daughter and Heeyoung hugged her back, happy that her mother liked her boyfriend.


	14. тнιятєєη

《What's that?》 Heeyoung asked Jane, as she handed her a paper

《It's the paper you have to sign to go on the school trip》 she replied

《What school trip?》

《Every year our school organizes a school trip for the senior students》 San said 《This years it seems we're going at a ski resort》

《That's so cool》 Heeyoung replied 《There was no such thing in my old school》

She took the paper and quickly read through it. The trip was only two days long, they were going on saturday morning and coming back on sunday afternoon, but it was still better than nothing. She suddenly felt excited to be going on a trip with her friends. And with Seonghwa.

She happily went home that afternoon, impatient to show the paper to her mother, and hoping she would let her go. She had never been to a trip without her family, and her mother didn't know if she was responsible enough. After Heeyoung insisted a bit, she gave in and told her she could go. She knew Seonghwa would be going there as well, so she didn't waste time in subtly telling her not to do anything stupid, or reckless. She knew what her mother meant and she tried not to blush as she warned her. Heeyoung thought it was too early to even think about it.

The day of their departure, Heeyoung was so excited that she was literally jumping.

《Calm down, tiger》 Jane told her 《You're gonna cause an earthquake if you keep jumping like that》

《Sorry, I'm just excited》 she replied, trying to stay still

They were standing next to the bus, waiting for the last few students to arrive. A big expensive car pulled by and Seonghwa and Seongwoo got off. Heeyoung was so excited about the idea of going on a trip with her friends and her boyfriend, that she forgot that Seongwoo would be there as well. She started feeling a bit anxious, but as soon as she met eyes with Seonghwa, she couldn't help but smile.

The teachers told them to get on the bus and everyone went in. San sat with Wooyoung, and Heeyoung sat with Seonghwa. When Jane got on the bus most of the seats were already taken, so she went to the back, already knowing that her destiny was to sit alone. Right before the bus started, one last person got on the bus: Eunkyung. She was late and the only free seat was the one next to Jane. As soon as she noticed it, she smirked.

The driver finally started the bus and they started their journey. Seonghwa offered Heeyoung one of his earphones and they listened to music together. Heeyoung eventually fell asleep and her head fell on his shoulder. Seonghwa found himself staring at her with a soft smile on his lips.

In the mean time, a couple seats back, San and Wooyoung were playing games on their phones, and they competitiveness was loud enough to disturb the students sitting next to them, who often complained to them and told them to shut up. San and Wooyoung, however, didn't even listen to them so they kept being loud, screaming and teasing each other.

At the back of the bus, Jane was sitting with her arms crossed on her chest, looking outside the window with a serious face.

《Don't you find it ironic that we ended up sitting together?》 Eunkyung said, with a smirk on her face

《Shut up》 Jane replied

《Why are you so hostile?》 Eunkyung asked, pretending to be offended 《I'm just trying to have a conversation》

《I hate you》

《That's not what you used to say last year》

Jane turned to look at her, surprise evident in her face.

《That time was a mistake》

《You seemed to like it, though》

《I told you to shut up》 Jane repeated

Eunkyung chuckled to herself. Jane suddenly remembered a detail about that night and turned to look at the girl next to her.

《Why are you acting all tough though? Do I need to reming you who kissed who that night?》 she said

《I never said I regretted it》 Eunkyung replied shrugging 《What's wrong with following your instincts?》

《You're unbelievable》

《Admit it, you were disappointed that it was only a one night stand》

《I won't admit anything》 Jane replied, offended 《As I already said, it was a mistake》

Eunkyung looked at her with a challenging look.

《Since we'll spend the night out without supervision, do you want to do repeat the mistake?》 Eunkyung asked

《What the actual fu-》

《Hey ladies》 Seongwoo interrupted her

《No standing up in the bus!》 the teacher yelled

Seongwoo ignored her and looked at the two girls.

《Would you mind changing seats with me?》 Seongwoo asked Jane

As much as she didn't want to do Seongwoo a favor, she still nodded, because every excuse was perfect to get her away from Eunkyung. Said girl got up to let her get up and walk away. Seongwoo sat next to her and Jane quickly sat a few seats front, next to a guy that was sleeping with his head on the window.

《This is gonna be a long weekend》 she told herself, sighing

When they arrived at the hotel, everyone was excited to know about the arrangements of the rooms and roommates. Everyone had already chosen who they wanted to be with, but the teachers soon killed everyone's expectations, saying that they were the ones that made the couples. No change was accepted.

They started naming the groups of roommates, and everyone listened carefully. Heeyoung heard Jane's name with the name of a girl she never met, then she heard Seongwoo's name paired with one of his friends, then she heard's San's name with Wooyoung and Seonghwa. She glanced at Seonghwa, who was frowning. She chuckled, knowing he must have thought it was a nightmare. Right in that moment, she heard her name.

《Kang Heeyoung and Nam Eunkyung》 the teacher said

Heeyoung's and Seonghwa's eyes widened.

《Hell no》 Seonghwa said to himself

Heeyoung met Eunkyung's eyes right away, and noticed she looked satisfied. That couldn't be a good sign. Seonghwa approached the teacher, but before he could even open his mouth, the teacher repeated that no changes would be accepted.

《See you in our room》 Eunkyung say to Heeyoung

She winked at her and walked away with her bag. Heeyoung glanced at Seonghwa, who looked uneasy.

《It's just one night》 Heeyoung tried to be positive, but she wasn't sure herself that everything was going to be fine

Everyone settled their bags in their rooms and then everyone was free to do whatever they wanted. Most students and teachers went to ski or to take a walk, but Heeyoung and her friends decided to all stay together inside the hotel, enjoying hot chocolate next to the fireplace in the lobby. The teachers had organized a party for that night, so they thought they could relax before the chaos that would happen not too long after. They already knew that the rules "no alcohol" and "no loud music" would be broken as soon as the party started. It was always like that.

《Good luck tonight》 Jane told Seonghwa 《You probably won't be able to sleep with those two in the same room》

San and Wooyoung looked at her, oblivious.

《What do you mean?》 San asked

She shook her head.

《Don't worry, you don't need to know》 she replied to them, grinning

Seonghwa took advance of the situation to lean closer to Heeyoung.

《If Eunkyung bothers you tonight, call me right away》 he whispered to her 《Screw the rules. We can stay out all night if we need to》

Heeyoung smiled to him a quickly pecked his cheek.

《Ew, not in front of us please!》 Wooyoung whined, making everyone laugh

Later, for the party, some students decorated the hall of the hotel and some brought the drinks and the food. Seongwoo's friends secretly brought alcohol and gave it to people in the corner of the room. They put on some music and people started dancing.

Heeyoung was in the corner of the room, with Seonghwa by her side. None of the two was enjoying the atmosphere, so they decided to spend some time outside on the balcony.

《It's nice here》 Heeyoung said 《It's a bit cold, but it's nice》

Seonghwa wrapped his arms around her.

《Better?》 he asked

She nodded, happily. They stayed there, hugging each other and looking at the mountains. They could hear the silence of nature and the muffled song coming from the hotel. Suddenly, the door of the balcony opened and San's head peeked outside.

《Seonghwa? Could you come in for a second?》 he asked 《We need you to figure out how the stereo works. We have no idea what to do》

He sighed and nodded.

《You go, I'll stay a bit longer》 Heeyoung replied

《I'll be back as soon as I finish》

Seonghwa went back in following San, and Heeyoung sat on one of the chairs in the balcony. She closed her eyes to enjoy the chilly air on her face, when she heard someone sit down next to her. She opened her eyes to meet Seongwoo's.

《How come you're here alone?》 he asked 《My brother already abandoned you?》

《He went to help San》 she replied, defensive 《I wanted to stay here alone》

《How is it gong between you two?》

Heeyoung felt a bit offended by the question. Who was he to ask about your relationship with Seonghwa?

《It doesn't concern you》 she replied shyly

《You think he's a nice guy, but he isn't》 Seongwoo said 《It's all a farce. It's a mask he puts up with people he just met. Once you know him well he's just like me》

《He's not like you》

《Do you even know how "I am"?》 he asked, leaning closer to her 《You don't really know me》

《And I don't want to》 she quickly replied, getting up to walk away from him

She was almost at the door to go back inside, when he spoke again.

《Be careful with him》 he warned her 《He has broken hearts in the past and he will most likely do it again. Don't give all of yourself to him. You might regret it》

She ignored him and went into the hotel closing the door behind her. She saw and approached Jane, and next to her there were Seonghwa, San and Wooyoung working on the stereo.

《Here》 Seonghwa said 《It's done》

San happily thanked him. Seonghwa looked up and met Heeyoung's eyes, and he could tell right away that there was something wrong. He slowly walked to her, trying not to look too worried.

《Is everything alright?》 he asked

《Yeah, I'm just tired》 she replied 《I think I should go to sleep》

Seonghwa didn't want to insist, so he walked her to her room. Before going in she kissed him goodbye. She went to sleep when the party was still going on so Eunkyung wasn't there when she fell asleep. Heeyoung woke up randomly during the night and moving around in her bed she noticed that the bed next to her was still empty. She looked at the time: 3am. She shrugged and went back to sleep.

The next morning Heeyoung woke up at the sound of her phone vibrating on the nightstand next to her. She opened her eyes and noticed Eunkyung's bed still empty, as she reached out to grab her phone. The text was from Jane.

 **from jane:** "are you with seonghwa?"

 **from heeyoung:** "no, why?"

 **from jane:** "the boys haven't seen him since yesterday night. They say he didn't come back to their room"

Before Heeyoung could reply, she got another notifications. It was from an unknown number and it only contained an imagine, without a text. But the message didn't need an explanation, because the photo was clear enough to shock a person.


	15. ƒσυятєєη

Heeyoung was running through the corridors of the hotel, trying to find the boy that turned her into a mess. Her tears were already dry on her cheeks. Turning the corner she bumped into someone, and she noticed it was who she was looking for. It was Seonghwa.

《Hey, are you okay?》 he asked, taking a step back to look at her

She looked up, and as soon as their eyes met, Seonghwa's look turned into a worried one.

《What's wrong?》 he asked

《I don't want to believe it, I really don't》 Heeyoung said weakly 《But.. they send me a photo》

《What are you talking about?》 he asked, confused

She took the phone and put it in front of his face. He grabbed it, not believing what he was seeing. The photo was showing two people on a couch. Actually, the guy was sitting on the couch, while the girl was on his lap, kissing him. The girl's face could be seen perfectly and it was clear that it was Eunkyung. While the boy's face wasn't as noticeable as hers, it was still pretty clear that it was Seonghwa. Or at least, someone looking like him.

He looked at Heeyoung with desperate eyes.

《It's not me》 he said 《I swear that's not me》

《It's not Seongwoo either!》 she replied confused and sad

She had thought about the possibility of Seongwoo being the one in the photo, but the hair colors didn't match. She had seen him in the hall a few minutes earlier when she was still looking for Seonghwa, and his brother still had blond hair. She thought about the possibility of photo being old, but the surroundings were clearly the ones of the hotel. She was confused and everything told her that the one in the photo was really Seonghwa, but her heart didn't want to admit it.

《I don't know how they did it, but I swear it's not me》 he repeated

She sighed and looked away. Another tear escaped her eye.

《Please look at me》 he begged 《You know I wouldn't do it. I would never hurt you like that》

《San and Wooyoung said you'd been out all night and that you didn't go back your room》 she said

《I couldn't sleep so I went to take a walk outside. When I came back I sat on one of the sofas in the hall and I ended up falling asleep there》 he explained, panicking

《I don't want to believe that you did it》 Heeyoung said, again 《But everything goes against what you're saying》

《I understand why you won't believe me, and I don't blame you》 he told her, softly 《I never kissed Eunkyung and I will find a way to prove it. I promise I'll bring you the proof》

《I really hope you're right》

She took a step back and Seonghwa felt his heart break as he looked at her walk away. He put a hand in his hair and pulled it out of frustration, cursing. In the end, his brother managed to ruin his life, and this time he also hurt someone else. He hurt the only person that mattered to Seonghwa. He couldn't forgive his brother, and he couldn't forgive himself for letting him do it.

All the students had to pack their things and go to the bus, to go back home. When Seonghwa arrived back to his room, San and Wooyoung were walking out of it with their bags. They glared at the boy, and that's when Seonghwa knew they already knew what happened.

《You don't have much to pack》 San said, bitter 《You never even slept in your own bed》

Seonghwa didn't have the energy to reply. He knew that if he tried to explain himself one more time, he would have broken down. He entered the room ignoring them, and the two boys walked away insulting him under their breath. He took his things and he threw them in his bag, then he took the bag and walked out of the hotel. He had just walked out of the building, when he noticed Jane standing alone while scrolling through her phone. Without even thinking about it twice, he called her. She looked up with a confused look.

《Can I please talk to you?》 Seonghwa asked, desperate

Sighing, Jane nodded and walked to him.

《I know you already know what happened. I just met San and Wooyoung and they were pretty angry》 he started

《Can you blame them?》 she replied, raising an eyebrow at him

《No, of course not》 he said 《But I know you're different from them, and the fact that you're listening to me is the proof》

Before she could reply he kept talking.

《I didn't cheat on Heeyoung, I would never》 he said 《I need someone to believe me. I need _you_ to believe me》

《How do you explain the photo?》 she asked

《I don't know what Eunkyung and my brother did and I don't know _how_ they did it, but I have nothing to do with it. It was one of Seongwoo's sick plans to ruin my life, and once again he succeeded》

He stopped a second to hold back the tears that were threatening to come out.

《This time he didn't just hurt me. He hurt Heeyoung, and he made her think it was my fault, and I can't stand that》 he said 《She doesn't deserve to suffer because of me and my brother and I need to let her know the truth》

《How do you plan on doing that?》 Jane asked, serious

With that, he knew that he believed her. She didn't need to say it out loud for him to understand it , and she knew he was grateful for what she was doing. He could tell it from the look on his face.

《I don't know yet》 he replied 《I can't think clearly right now》

《When you finally manage to calm down and think with a clear mind, if you find a way to expose your brother, you need to tell me》 she said 《I don't want Heeyoung to suffer either》

《Thank you》 Seonghwa said

《You better make this right》

《I will》 he said 《No matter what it will take me》

The teacher yelled at everyone to get on the bus, and Jane walked away to join San and Wooyoung who were trying to distract Heeyoung to cheer her up. They all got in the bus, and once they were in, Seonghwa walked closer and got in as well. He met the two boy's eyes as soon as he got in, and they were still glaring at him. Behind them, he noticed Heeyoung sitting next to Jane. She quickly looked away, but Seonghwa still saw the hurt in her eyes. He walked past them and sat alone.

A few minutes later, Eunkyung walked past him but he ignored her. Right after him there was Seongwoo, who looked at him with a smirk on his face.

《You will pay for this》 Seonghwa told him

《Can't wait for it to happen》 his brother replied, cocky

Seongwoo went to sit in the back, leaving Seonghwa hurt and frustrated. All he wanted to do was cry, and also maybe beat his brother. He had no idea how he was going to fix this, but he knew he had to make it right. He couldn't let Heeyoung hurt because of him. While the bus started to move, he closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath, trying to hold back his tears.


	16. ƒιƒтєєη

Seonghwa spent another sleepless night. Not that it was uncommon for him. The only difference was that this time he spent the time overthinking the situation, trying to come up with a plan, and crying silently to himself. He felt pathetic and useless. He let his brother ruin his life one more time. He thought he was being careful when he had never actually done anything to stop him.

The following day, he found going to school very hard. He didn't want to get out of his room, because he knew that if he locked himself in there he could have avoided his brother, while he knew that if he went to school, Seongwoo would have tried to bother him in any way possible. He didn't want to see San and Wooyoung's judging looks and he didn't want to see Heeyoung. He was sure that if he met her sad eyes he would have broken down in front of her.

However, he didn't have a choice, so he got changed and went to school.

The first period was the lesson he had in common with Heeyoung, but when he entered the class and didn't find her there, he wasn't surprised. She probably didn't want to see him and he couldn't blame her for that. He found it weird that he and Heeyoung were both seeing their words fall apart, while the rest of the school didn't even know about it. While they stayed behind, hurting, the rest of the world kept on going. He looked around and noticed his classmates chatting and laughing, and asked himself how could no one notice that someone else around them was suffering. How could their life not stop as well? It wasn't fair.

Heeyoung, to be precise, that day didn't just skip the first lesson, but just stayed home. She needed a day far from everyone to try to get strong enough to face Seonghwa again.

At school, Jane was half focused on the lessons and half focused on how to help Seonghwa prove that he was innocent. She was still waiting for him to come up with a plan, and in the mean time she was trying to come up with one herself. San and Wooyoung didn't know what she was thinking about, but their conversation still had a similar topic. She occasionally heard them talk bad about Seonghwa but she just ignored it.

When they went to the canteen to have lunch, they sat at their usual table. Seonghwa was nowhere to be seen, but they were all pretty sure he wasn't going to come to have lunch there.

《I saw him earlier in the hallway》 San said, upset 《I can't believe he's got the guts to go around school like nothing happened》

《I knew he was a jerk but I never thought he would act like this》 Wooyoung replied, in disbelief

《Would you two stop for a second?》 Jane snapped, hitting her hand on the table

The two boys turned to look at her, surprised.

《We're not doing anything wrong》 Wooyoung said

《You keep talking shit about Seonghwa》 she said

《In what other way should we talk about him, after what he's done?》 Wooyoung asked

《Are you defending him?》 San asked, offended 《How could you?》

《Look, I didn't want to say anything because I thought it didn't matter what you two thought or not, but this is getting annoying》 Jane admitted 《Seonghwa didn't cheat on Heeyoung》

《You're on his side?》

San was upset and he had no intention on hiding it.

《I know you two are 100% sure he did it, but he never cheated on Heeyoung》 Jane said

《He never came into our room and the guy in the photo is clearly him》 Wooyoung replied

《No, the guy in the photo _looks_ like him, and if he didn't come to back to the room he must have had his reasons》

《Yeah》 San replied 《The reason was "cheating"》

《We just found out about this, and you want to be upset to support Heeyoung, but I know that deep down you don't believe this either》 Jane said 《Just think about it for a second. Seonghwa never cared about anything and he tried to push all of us away, but he gave in somehow, and just for Heeyoung. You guys saw it too, how sweet he was with her. And haven't you noticed the look in his eyes when he looks at her? He's completely smitten》

《That could have just been an act》 San tried to make up an excuse

《Why would he pretend something like that?》 Jane asked, exasperated 《He's clearly scared to open up and get attached to people, how could he even fake that?》

San looked away, embarrassed. He knew Jane was right, but he didn't want to admit that Seonghwa was innocent. Wooyoung, who had only been listening to the conversation without saying anything, finally talked.

《You talked with Seonghwa, didn't you?》 he asked

Jane nodded.

《What does he say about this?》

《I talked to him yesterday before we came back, and he was really upset. He looked like he was about to cry》 she confessed 《He doesn't know how Seongwoo managed put on the show that we saw in the photo, but he's determined to find the proof and show Heeyoung that he's innocent》

《How will he do that?》 San asked

《He doesn't know yet, but I told him that I will help him when he has a plan》

《We... we'll help too》 San said

Jane relaxed a bit a smiled in relief. She knew the two boys well and she knew how stubborn they could be. Now that she managed to make them open their eyes, she was glad they were going to help too. They needed all the help to find the proofs of Seonghwa's innocence. None of them wanted Heeyoung to keep hurting.

After lunch, the three were walking back to class, when they were stopped by Seonghwa on the hallway.

《Jane》 he called her

They all stopped and turned to look at him.

《Can I talk to you?》 he asked her

She nodded and told the two boys to wait for her in class. Seonghwa noticed that San and Wooyoung weren't glaring at him, and found it odd, but he let it slide for the time being.

《Have you thought of a plan?》 Jane asked

《Yes, I might have thought of something that could help》

《Go on》 Jane said, impatient to hear about it

《I know that Seongwoo would never confess, and he knows better than to talk about it in any way that would make him seem guilty. He's always very cautious》 Seonghwa said 《That's why I thought that maybe we can get Eunkyung to talk》

《And how would we do that?》 Jane asked, curious

《Well, that's on you》 he replied

《Me?》

《I know about what happened between you two》

Jane's eyes widened.

《How....How do you...》 Jane was shocked 《No one knows, I never told anyone》

《I might be quiet but I see many things》 he replied 《I saw you two making out at my brother's party last year, and I saw you two arguing two nights ago at the party at the hotel》

Seonghwa had always been the outsider, who was always quiet and alone, but that didn't mean that he had been living outside the world. He usually spent his time watching people around him, at it happened more than once that he caught Eunkyung and Jane together. Since, at the time, he didn't know Jane personally he never thought such information would be useful, but now the fact that they were kind of "close" could come to hand.

《We really can't stand each other, though》 Jane said 《I doubt she would say something to me》

《I know you can make her talk》 Seonghwa replied

Jane sighed and nodded. The last thing she wanted to do in that moment was talking to Eunkyung, but if it mean helping Heeyoung and Seonghwa, she was willing to give in.

《I'll try》 Jane said

《Thank you》

《Don't thank me yet》 he cut him off right away 《I can't promise anything》

《It's already enough for me that you are wiling to try》

The bell rang and the two of them said goodbye, going to their lessons. When Jane sat down on her chair, San and Wooyoung asked her what Seonghwa wanted to talk to her about, but she only replied that they were thinking of a plan. The two boys weren't satisfied with the answer, but the teacher was quick to scold them for chatting during the lesson, so they had to keep quiet. Jane's mind started to drift away, thinking of a way to make Eunkyung confess.


	17. ѕιχтєєη

The next day was Seonghwa's first day at the dance club. He wasn't excited about it, especially since he knew he was going to have to spend a couple of hours in the same room with his brother. In a normal situation he would have just found it annoying, but after what he caused with Heeyoung, Seonghwa knew he could even get physical with him.

He entered the changing room and changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt. He put his backpack in the locker and walked to the practice room. When he entered, a few people were already there, stretching and warming up, and Seonghwa joined them silently. The bell rang and more people entered the room, including Seongwoo. When he entered, it felt like the air in the room suddenly changed, and everyone turned to look at him. The boys greeted him with high-fives and half hugs, and the girls looked at him with hearts in their eyes. All of that made Seonghwa's blood boil.

Seongwoo saw him in the corner of his eyes and couldn't hold back a smirk. He called everyone's attention and they started the lesson. Being Seonghwa's first lesson, Seongwoo tried to address him as much as he could saying how he was not following them fast enough or how he was not doing the right moves. Everyone in the room was a bit confused, because they could tell that Seonghwa was following just fine, but no one dared to say anything to his brother.

《Oh, come on Seonghwa!》 Seongwoo yelled again 《I told you already that you have to bend your legs more!》

He was trying to endure it, but he had reached his limit.

《Shut the fuck up!》 Seonghwa snapped back

Everyone's eyes widened, being that the first time they ever heard Seonghwa talk, other than the first time they saw the brothers interact.

《What did you say?》 asked Seongwoo, surprised and amused

Seonghwa stepped forward and everyone else took a step back to move away from the two twins.

《I said shut tu fuck up》 he repeated, voice low 《I am doing just fine. Actually, I think I'm doing even better than you, so keep your mouth shut for once》

《I see you're getting bold》 Seongwoo replied, smirking

《You have changed, Seonghwa》 he said, dramatically 《First you cheat and now you try to pick a fight with me? My quiet brother would never do that》

Seonghwa's jaw clenched.

《Don't start something you will regret》 he growled, angry 《We both know that it was _you_ 》

《Heeyoung doesn't seem to think it that way》

Seonghwa suddenly pushed him hard, and since Seongwoo was not expecting it, he stumbled back and hit his back on the wall. Seonghwa was about to punch him, when one of the guys in the room, that apparently were Seongwoo's friends, came between them and stopped him.

Seonghwa was glaring at his brother, and he could see the emotions in his eyes very clearly. He knew him too well and he could notice things that others couldn't. In Seongwoo's eyes there was both amusement and worry, which made Seonghwa smirk in a creepy way.

《It won't end here》 he said, stepping back and walking out of the room without sparing his brother another glance.

Once at home, Seonghwa refused to eat with his family and tried to avoid both his parents and his brother as much as he could. He wasn't in the mood to see them. He was too on edge to deal with anything that could make him explode at any second. That night, again, he couldn't sleep. He gave in to his instinct and sent one text to Heeyoung.

 **from seonghwa:** "sleep well"

The next day, Jane was walking around the school, trying to find Eunkyung. She was very nervous about it, as if she was trying to ask her crush out. She noticed Eunkyung leaning on a wall, surrounded by two guys, talking happily. She quietly approached them. Eunkyung was the first to notice her.

《Can I help you?》 she asked, cocky

《I need to talk with you》 Jane replied

Eunkyung turned to the boys and told them to leave them alone. As soon as they went away, she stood straight and looked at the girl in front of her.

《What do you want to talk about?》 she asked, serious

《I want to talk about Heeyoung》 Jane replied

Eunkyung froze for a second, then started laughing.

《You think it's funny?》 Jane asked, getting upset 《You and Seongwoo hurt two people with your stupid tricks》

《I don't know what you're talking about》 she replied, shrugging

《Oh, you do know what I'm talking about》 Jane replied 《I can see you're pretty proud of what you two did. Is it funny? Is it funny to ruin a relationship? Is it funny to make people insecure?》

Eunkyung's smile faded, and an annoyed expression took place on her face.

《Since you're so proud of it, how about you tell me what exactly you did?》 Jane challenged 《How did you put up the show?》

Eunkyung scoffed.

《Ever heard of spray dye?》 she replied 《One shower and it's gone》

《So you just colored Seongwoo's hair and made out on the couch in the middle of the party?》 Jane asked, annoyed 《What for?》

《I don't care about the reason. Seongwoo asked me a favor and I just helped him》

《Don't you know why he did that?》

《I have no idea, I wasn't that interested to ask him about it》 Eunkyung shrugged

《You know, I always knew you were a shitty person, but every time I think you can't get worse, you prove me wrong》 Jane said 《Maybe if you weren't such a bitch there could have been something more between us, but life is always just a game for you》

The look in Eunkyung's eyes changed, but Jane failed to notice it because as soon as she finished talking she turned around and walked away. Eunkyung took in a shaky breath and walked to her next class.

When the bell of the lunch break rang, Jane went to look for Seonghwa. He noticed her running to him and became alert right away.

《Did you talk to Eunkyung?》 he asked, impatient

《Yes, and I got her confession》 she replied, taking out her phone and showing him the recording

《Now we just have to get Heeyoung to listen to it》

《I'll talk to her calmly after lunch and I'll convince her to listen to it》 Jane said

《Thank you》 Seonghwa said

Jane smiled sadly, seeing how much gratitude she could notice in his eyes. They went their separate ways. Seonghwa went to sit alone and Jane went to the table where San, Wooyoung and Heeyoung were waiting for her. They all started to eat quietly, but the peace didn't last long.

Seongwoo and his group of friends came into the canteen and he pushed away a whole group of people that were eating, only to step on their table.

《I need everyone's attention》 he yelled

The attention was already on him, since he was indeed the most popular guy of the school, but after his call, everyone was curious to know what was about to happen. Both Seonghwa and Heeyoung started feeling anxious.

《You know I have a twin brother, right?》 Seongwoo said, not even waiting for a reply 《His name is Seonghwa and he's sitting right there》

He pointed at Seonghwa and the whole canteen turned around to glance at him.

《He recently started a relationship with the new student, but guess what?》 Seongwoo said, half laughing 《He cheated on her with Nam Eunkyung!》

Everyone in the canteen started whispering and all the girls started calling him names.

《Apparently they had sex during the school trip》 he continued 《Isn't it-》

He couldn't even finish his sentence, that a milk cartoon flew to him and hit his chest, spilling all the milk on his shirt and on his jeans.

《What the fuck》 he said, angry

He lowered his stare and noticed Heeyoung in front of him, fuming.

《Step down》 she ordered him 《Now》

《Who do you think you are to order me around?》 Seongwoo replied, upset

She took a plate of pasta from a table next to her and threw that one as well, hitting his shirt again.

《Yah!》 he yelled

《I told you to get the hell down from there!》 she yelled, louder than him 《If you have a problem you say it to my face, you coward!》

Seonghwa's mouth fell open, while Jane, San and Woosan were so shocked they couldn't even breathe. No one ever expected to see the bright girl so mad. They had to admit she looked scary.

《Seonghwa didn't cheat on me》 Heeyoung said 《You and Eunkyung put up a show to make us break up. I guess your inferiority complex kicked in again. You couldn't stand not being at the center of attention for once, right?》

《Holy shit》 a guy next to her said, amused

Heeyoung glared at him and he took a step back on an instinct.

《How about you walk out of here with the little bit of dignity you have left? You can't afford to be humiliated more than this, seeing your popularity》

Seongwoo wanted to talk back, but he didn't know what to say. One his friends dragged him down from the table and while they walked out of the room, Heeyoung turned around looking for Seonghwa in the crowd. As soon as their eyes met, she walked to him and without even saying anything she grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the canteen to a desert hallway. She stopped and quickly turned to him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. Seonghwa was taken back at first, but then he hugged her back.

《I'm sorry》 she mumbled against his chest 《I'm sorry for not believing you sooner. I always knew you were innocent, but I guess I was just too insecure to realize it》

Seonghwa grabbed her shoulder and made her take a step back so he could see her face clearly.

《I know》 he replied smiling softly

《Are you mad?》 she asked, embarrassed

《How could I be mad? You literally just defended me in front of the whole school》

Heeyoung's eyes suddenly widened and she seemed to finally realized what had just happened.

《Oh god, I just yelled in front of everyone》 she said, panicking 《I even threw food at your brother!》

《I'm proud of you for doing that》 Seonghwa replied chuckling

《It's not funny!》 Heeyoung said 《Oh god, I could get detention for this!》

《Well, if it makes you feel better, I though you were amazing》 he said 《You were a bit scary, but overall you looked pretty hot》

Heeyoung eyes widened again and she slightly blushed.

《Seonghwa!》 she said, embarrassed

《I'm sorry, but it's the truth》

She pouted and hid her face in his chest again, making him chuckle. Then, Seonghwa's mood dropped again.

《Does... this mean we're okay?》 he asked, hesitant

Heeyoung looked at him and noticed the fear in his eyes.

《Yes》 she replied

He smiled sadly and caressed her cheek.

《I missed you》 he whispered

She tiptoed and pressed a quick kiss on his lips. As soon as stepped back, he leaned in for a proper kiss, pressing her against him, almost as if he was scared she would disappear from between his arms.

《Can you not make out in the hallways?》

They quickly stepped away from one another, suddenly panicking, but they relaxed again when they realized it was only Jane, with San and Wooyoung giggling behind her.

Heeyoung looked at Seonghwa, who was looking away with a slight blush on his cheeks. Unconsciously, she smiled at him fondly. 


	18. ѕєνєηтєєη

That day Jane and the two boys had some free periods during the morning because one of their teacher was absent. San and Wooyoung wanted to take advantage of this time to go out and have a proper breakfast, but Jane wasn’t hungry so she told them to go without her.

She was reading through her notes sitting on a bench in the school yard, when she felt someone sit next her. When she looked up, she suddenly froze out of shock.

《What are you doing here?》 she asked

《I saw you sitting here and I wanted to join you》 Eunkyung replied, looking away

《If you came here to tease me or something like that, then you can leave》 Jane replied 《I’m not in the mood to talk with you today》

《I actually came to apologize》

Jane almost chocked on her own saliva, and turned to look at the girl next to her.

《Apologize?》

《I’m sorry for what I did to your friends》 she confessed, calmly 《I don’t enjoy this either, but my friendship with Seongwoo is weird and sometimes I have to do this kind of favors to him. He knows too much about me, and if he turned his back on me, I would be screwed. Who knows what he could say or do…》

《That’s your excuse for playing with other people’s feelings?》

Jane was upset and couldn’t understand Eunkyung at all.

《I wouldn’t have even felt guilty in a normal situation》 she mumbled to herself

Jane, however, still heard her.

《If you don’t feel guilty then why are you apologizing?》 she asked, angry

《I do feel guilty, but not exactly for what I did to Seonghwa and Heeyoung》 Eunkyung said, cringing at herself for how bad she was trying to explain her own feeling

《What do you mean?》

《I don’t know Seonghwa and Heeyoung and I don’t care about them, which is why I don’t feel bad for them》 she explained 《But I do care about you, and I feel guilty because while doing that favor for Seongwoo, I hurt you too》

Jane was taken back. For someone like Eunkyung, this type of confession was a big deal, and Jane wasn’t expecting to ever hear it come out of her mouth, and she especially never thought Eunkyung could feel that way towards her.

《Are you not going to say anything?》 Eunkyung asked, feeling slightly insecure

《What am I supposed to say?》 Jane replied 《This doesn’t change anything. Even if I had feelings for you, you would still be the same person I knew before. You’re manipulative and mean, and you don’t see anything bad with playing with people’s feelings. You literally just said that you don’t feel guilty for what you did to Seonghwa and Heeyoung. How could I ever get close to a person like that?》

Eunkyung knew she would react like this, but she couldn’t deny that it still hurt to hear her say it to her face. Jane grabbed her things and walked away, leaving Eunkyung on the bench, who let out a frustrated groan.

Neither Eunkyung nor Jane noticed, but not too far away from them, Heeyoung was peeking with her head from behind a wall and was looking at the scene. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop. She saw Jane alone on the bench and decided to keep her company, but while she was walking to her she noticed Eunkyung sitting next to her, and then she couldn’t help but listen to their conversation, especially after she heard her and Seonghwa’s names. Even though she didn’t like her, Heeyoung felt bad for Eunkyung.

Later, Heeyoung walked around the school yard and managed to find Jane again. The girl saw her from afar and waved at her.

《Hey》 Heeyoung said, sitting next to her

《Hi》

Heeyoung could see that Jane was trying to smile, but there was still something sad in her expression.

《Is everything alright?》

《Yeah, of course》 Jane replied

《Are you sure?》

《Yes, why are you asking?》 she asked, getting a bit defensive all of sudden

《I kind of… heard your conversation with Eunkyung earlier》 Heeyoung confessed

Jane’s eyes widened.

《What?》

《I think she really does like you》 Heeyoung said

《What does that have to do with me》 she replied, getting upset again

《I see how you act when she’s around. I’ve noticed it since that night at the party》 Heeyoung explained 《You like her too》

《I don’t》

《The fact that you think she’s a bad person, doesn’t mean that you don’t like her》 she said 《Those are two different facts, that don’t necessarily have to go together》

Jane got up and turned to look at Heeyoung, towering over her.

《If I say that I don’t like her, then I do not like her》 she said in such a calm tone that it sounded scary

《I’m sorry》 Heeyoung said, feeling bad for even mentioning it

《I have something to do》 Jane said, getting up again 《I’ll see you later》

Heeyoung watched her leave once again and pouted. She didn’t have the right to meddle in their “relationship”, but she felt the need to at least try to understand it better. She could see that there was something holding Jane back, and she wanted to help her. Eunkyung wasn’t a nice person in that moment, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t change for the better. She seemed to really be into Jane, and that could be a good reason to change her attitude.

《What are you doing here, so lost in thoughts?》

Heeyoung turned around, smiling at Seonghwa.

《I’m thinking about Jane》 she replied, as he sat next to her

《Did something happen?》

《I heard her talking with Eunkyung and I think they like each other》

《Well, that’s for sure》 he replied

Heeyoung looked at him, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

《You know something I don’t know, right?》

《They had a fling last year》 Seonghwa said 《They keep picking at each others now, pretending to hate each other, but it’s kinda evident that both of them are still into one another》

《It’s scary how you know everything about everyone》 she replied, making him chuckle

《I think I know you well enough to know you want to do something about it》 he said, looking at her carefully

《I just want to understand their situation》 she replied, calmly

《Be careful not to cross the line》 he warned her 《Jane seems very defensive about the matter, so it would be pretty easy to upset her if you do》

《I won’t do anything crazy》 she assured him 《I think I’ll just try to talk with Eunkyung to hear her side of the story》

Seonghwa nodded, but he mentally told himself to watch her carefully in case something happened. He knew Heeyoung always meant well, but sometimes she unconsciously crosses the line while trying to help. He held her hand and intertwined their fingers, making her smile at him. For a little while, he managed to distract her from her new mission.


	19. єιgнтєєη

Heeyoung wanted to talk to Eunkyung about her "relationship" with Jane, but she was a bit scared and nervous, so she kept postponing it. Every time she saw Eunkyung alone from afar, she took a step forward, then cowered back and walked away because it didn't fell like the perfect moment.

A few days had passed since she eavesdropped that conversation. That day Heeyoung was studying alone in the school's library. She secretly sneaked a few snacks inside and she was trying to eat as quietly as she could without getting caught. Luckily, she found a spot in one of the tables in the corner of the library, far from where anyone could see her, so she could eat and study without anyone bothering her.

When she finished eating, she got up to go to the toilet. She was washing her hands, when she noticed Eunkyung coming out from one of the stalls. She knew there wasn't anyone else there, so she took a chance.

《Can I talk to you for a second?》 Heeyoung asked timidly

Eunkyung turned to look at her surprised and confused, as if she didn't even realize that there was someone next to her until Heeyoung spoke. She nodded.

《I've noticed some things and I would like to ask... what's going on between you and Jane?》

Eunkyung's eyes slightly widened, but she managed to keep her cool.

《I don't know what you're talking about》 she replied

《I know you two had some kind of story》 Heeyoung continued 《Do you have feelings for her?》

《I think you mistake me for someone else》 Eunkyung replied, monotone 《If you excuse me, I have something more important to do than listen to your question》

She walked past Heeyoung, slightly bumping against her shoulder. Heeyoung sighed and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

《Well, that failed》 she said 《Not that I'm surprised...》

She walked out of the toilet and walked back to the library. She froze when she noticed who was sitting in her seat, reading through the textbook that she left open. She took a deep breath and carefully approached him. He looked up and smiled.

《I knew these things were yours》 Seongwoo said

《Why are you here?》 she asked

《I wanted to see you》 he replied, with such a calm and sincere voice that made Heeyoung confused

《.... why?》

《I know you hate me》 he said

《Yeah》 she replied, still not understanding what was going on

《You might not believe me, but I'm seriously interested in you》

He looked her straight in the eyes and she felt a strange and uncomfortable feeling looking at such deep eyes that were so similar yet so different from the ones of the man she loves. He got up and walked towards her, as she slowly took steps back, confused. Somehow she found herself trapped between the wall and Seongwoo's tall frame.

《All this time I've been trying to play with my brother, but now I want to seriously try to win your heart》 he said, playing with a strand of her hair 《Now that I set my eyes on you, I won't let my brother have you》

《I will never like you, so you should give up now》 she replied, trying to gather all the courage that she could find in herself in that moment

《We'll see about that》

He took a step back and smiled at her. The smile was a normal and genuine smile, which seemed odd considering how cocky he sounded just a few second before.

《I'll see you around》 he said

He walked away, leaving Heeyoung still pressed against the wall. She suddenly felt shivers down her spine and she tried to shake off the feeling. _That was creepy_ , she thought.

She went back to her seat and tried to keep on studying, but she couldn't stop thinking about the conversation she just had with Seongwoo. Did it mean he was going to ruin her relationship again? Was he going to use tricks again? Did she have to worry? Was she supposed to tell Seonghwa?

Overthinking the whole situation, she didn't notice how much time actually passed and she was brought back to reality by a notification. She picked up her phone to notice a text from Seonghwa telling her that he was outside, ready to give her a ride home. She gathered all her things and walked out of the library. When Seonghwa saw her, he smiled brightly, happy to see her. Heeyoung fakes a smile, but he notices that something was wrong right away.

During the journey to her home, she kept watching outside of the window, playing with her hands out of nervousness. From time to time, Seonghwa glanced at her, trying to figure out what could have happened. When they finally arrived in front of her house, and he stopped the car, Heeyoung didn't move.

《What's happened?》 he asked her softly 《Did you talk with Eunkyung? Is that why you looks so... nervous?》

She remembered only in that moment that she did, indeed, talk to Eunkyung.

《Yeah, I did talk to her and she denied everything》 she replied 《But that's not the reason why I'm like this...》

《What's wrong? You know you can talk to me》

《I met Seongwoo in the library》 she said

In that moment, Seonghwa started getting nervous as well. He felt like he kept hearing that sentence too often, and it never was good news.

《He said that from now whatever he does is not to upset you, but to win me over》 she explained 《He says... that he likes me》

Sadness and fear overcame Seonghwa's heart. He looked at her and noticed how she was out of it, as if she kept thinking of what his brother said.

《Are you... considering his confession?》 he asked, trying not to sound too shaken

Heeyoung's head suddenly whipped around to look at him.

《No, of course not!》 she quickly said

As she noticed that he wasn't convinced, she took his hand in hers.

《I like you, and only you, I promise》 she confessed 《I'm only worried about him getting between us again》

《I wouldn't be surprised if you changed your mind》 he said, sadly 《Seongwoo always took away everything from me, even the people I cared about》

《I'm not going anywhere. I won't change my mind and I won't give up on us》 she said, firmly 《I'm going to fight till the end, so that he can finally leave us alone. So, please, don't _you_ give up on us. Instead of being sad, be angry. Don't let his behavior slide》

He knew what she meant. In that moment he felt so defeated and sad that he was probably going to just let his brother do whatever he wanted because he already knew that the result was going to be the same either way. But he trusted Heeyoung, and he knew how strong she could be. He didn't want to disappoint her, so he nodded.

《I promise, I will fight for us》 he said

Heeyoung gave him a reassuring smile.

《Do you want to come inside?》 she asked him 《It might cheer you up》

《I'd love to, but I have to go back to school for dance practice》

She frowned. Seeing Seongwoo right after she told him what happened probably wasn't a wise choice. But they were brothers and they lived in the same house after all, so they were going to see each others later in the day anyway.

《I'll be okay》 he reassured her

She nodded. He leaned closer and pecked her lips.

《I'll text you later》

She got off the car and waved as he went away. She really didn't have a good feeling about all of this.

Seonghwa went back to school and changed into comfortable clothes. When he walked into the practice room, everyone was already there and the lesson was about to start. He noticed Seongwoo glancing at him, but he didn't look like he was trying to pick on him. He looked more like he was trying to read Seonghwa. He almost looked cautious. The lesson started and Seonghwa noticed how for the first time, Seongwoo didn't talk to him, not even to scold him for his dancing skills. Seonghwa felt relieved for not having to hear his remarks for once, but at the same time Seongwoo's behavior made him worry.

When the lesson ended and everyone went to change, Seonghwa stayed in the room, where Seongwoo was turning the pc off.

《I heard you talked to Heeyoung again》 he started, to see his brother's reaction

《Hm》 he replied, without even taking his eyes off the computer

Seonghwa frowned, confused. Everything about Seongwoo's behavior felt odd.

《Do you really like her or is this another trick of yours?》 Seonghwa asked

Finally, Seongwoo stopped working on the computer and looked up at his brother.

《I really like her》 he replied, calmly

《I won't let you get between us again》 Seonghwa said 《This time, I won't let you win》

《It's her choice, not yours》 Seongwoo replied

《I trust her and her feelings. She won't leave me for you》

《Only time will tell》

Seongwoo's tone wasn't cocky like always, just calm and controlled. Seonghwa felt a bit intimidated by it, because he wasn't used to this Seongwoo. He didn't know this side of him and he probably didn't know how to deal with it.

Seongwoo walked past him, towards the door.

《I'll see you home》 he said, before walking out of the room

Seonghwa glanced at his reflection in the mirror. He looked confident, but if he looked carefully in his own eyes, he knew there were many insecurities waiting to come out and take over. He shook his head, trying to keep out the bad feelings.


	20. ηιηєтєєη

Seonghwa and Heeyoung were sitting on a bench in the school yard, enjoying the sun and the quiet outside.

《My parents are out for work tonight》 Seonghwa said 《And Seongwoo should be at a party》

Heeyoung turned to look at him, curious to know what he wanted to say.

《I was thinking you could come over and we could order take out and watch some movies》

She smiled softly, noticing he was visibly nervous asking her. It was cute how he was still shy sometimes, despite the fact that they had been dating for some time now.

《It sounds great》 she replied. Seonghwa smiled back, satisfied.

When the school day was finally over, the two said goodbye to Jane, San and Wooyoung and went to Seonghwa's house. The house was empty and so quiet, it gave a completely different feeling from the time she went there for the party. They walked upstair, to Seonghwa's room. Heeyoung suddenly started feeling nervous and she couldn't understand why. It wasn't the first time she was alone with Seonghwa after all.

《You can sit down》 he told her, chuckling at how she was standing still net to the door

《Right》 she whispered, quickly sitting on his bed

She looked around, while he took his jacket off and turned on the tv. On his desk, she noticed her tea box.

《Do you still use my tea?》 she asked

《Actually, I finished it》 he replied 《I bought another one, but I kept your box》

《And you were so reluctant to accept it》 she remembered

《I was a bit grumpy at first, I admit it》 he said

《Only at first?》

He glared at her and she laughed. He suddenly jumped on the bed and started tickling her, making her scream and laugh. She tried to escape but Seonghwa wouldn't stop nor move.

《Okay okay, you're not grumpy anymore!》 she said, still laughing like crazy 《You win!》

He stopped tickling her, and she tried to catch her breath.

《It's my turn now》 she whispered, once she was fine

She got up and pushed Seonghwa down until he was fully laying on the bed, then she sat on him. Before he could react, she leaned down and started kissing him. Despite his surprise he reacted quickly, cupping her cheeks and leading the kiss. The kiss was intense, but a bit too short for Seonghwa's liking. When she broke the kiss and looked at him, she smirked seeing the blush on his cheeks.

《I win》 she said

《This is cheating!》 he replied, flustered 《It's not fair》

《You're a sore loser, Seonghwa》 she said, shaking her head

Since she was still sitting on his lap, he moved his hands and put them on her waist, slowly caressing her with his thumbs.

《You look really beautiful in this position》 he said

《Pervert》 she replied, slapping him on the chest

《You started it!》

She tried to get off him, but he kept her in her place.

《Let me go》 she said

《One more kiss》 he demanded

She leaned down and pecked his lips. He pouted, disappointed, but he still let her go. She moved and laid down next to him.

《Let's start a movie》 she said

He nodded and handed her the remote, to let her choose what to watch. The movie started and Seonghwa gestured for her to come closer so that he could cuddle her. The position was so comfortable that she didn't want to move, but after a while she really needed to use the toilet, so she groaned getting up, and excused herself for a while. Seonghwa stopped the movie and started checking his phone, while he waited for Heeyoung.

When she came out of the bathroom, she bumped into someone. She was about to make a joke, thinking it was Seonghwa, but when she looked up, she realized it was Seongwoo.

《I was not expecting to see you here》 he said, smiling

《I wasn't expecting you either》 she replied, nervous 《I though you would be out》

《Did you expect to have the house empty to do dirty stuff without interruptions?》 he asked, with an annoying smirk on his face

Before she could reply, the door of Seonghwa's bedroom opened and he came out of his room. He, too, froze when he noticed Seongwoo.

《Why are you here?》 he asked

《Did you forget it's my house too?》 Seongwoo replied

《You said you would be going to a party》

《I knew you would use this opportunity to invite her here, so I decided to ruin your fun》 he replied, shrugging

While talking, they didn't realize that the front door had opened and that someone else entered the house. They realized it too late, once they arrived at the second floor and noticed the three of them.

《What's going on here?》 Mr. Park said

Seonghwa tensed and Heeyoung started panicking internally. Mr and Mrs Park walked closer to the group and finally noticed the girl.

《Who are you?》 Mrs Park asked Heeyoung

She quickly glanced at Seonghwa, panicking. He was panicking too. He wanted to say that she was his girlfriend but he knew they wouldn't be happy about it. That was part of the reason why he invited her when he though his parents wouldn't be home.

《She's my girlfriend》 Seongwoo said, ironically saving the situation

Heeyoung's eyes widened, while Seonghwa didn't react.

《What's your name》 Mrs demanded

《Heeyoung》 she replied, almost in a whisper

《Since you're here, why don't you join us for dinner?》 she asked, even if it sounded more like an order

《I'll start cooking and I'll call you when it's ready》 she continued, without waiting for a reply

She turned around and went downstairs. Before he followed her, Mr Park looked at Heeyoung with a look that almost seemed disgusted, then he walked downstairs as well.

《My room, now》 Seonghwa said to Seongwoo, through gritted teeth

The three went to his room, and Seonghwa almost slammed the door when closing it.

《What do you think you're doing?》 he asked, angry

《I just saved your ass》 Seongwoo replied 《You know they would have kicked her out if you told them she's your girlfriend》

《What makes you think that _this_ is better?》

Heeyoung looked at the scene in silence, not knowing how to react.

《They won't accept her even if you say she's _your_ girlfriend》 Seonghwa said

《Why?》 Heeyoung asked quietly

Both of them turned around and Seonghwa's eyes softened. He walked closer to her, making sure to cover Seongwoo's frame.

《You know that our parents treat us differently. I'm the flawed one and he's the perfect one》 he explained, taking her hand in his 《He's the favorite son, and our parents will never be satisfied with any partner he chooses. They will always say that no one's good enough for him. It's nothing personal against you, It already happened with other girls》

Heeyoung nodded. It didn't really make her feel better, but she understood the situation.

《What do I do now, then?》 she asked

Instead of replying to her, Seongwoo talked to Seonghwa.

《You know she can only get out of this dinner alive if she pretends to be my girlfriend》

《You want me to sit still while you show her off calling her yours, while our parents put her down and insult her?》 Seonghwa replied

《I can handle it》 Heeyoung said

Seonghwa looked at her, confused.

《It's just one dinner, I can do it》

《Heeyoung...》 Seonghwa warned her

《It won't mean anything, we're just pretending》 she reassured him

Seongwoo smirked, satisfied, and luckily for him Seonghwa didn't notice it. He sighed, clenching his fists to repress his anger. Then, he turned to his brother.

《If you touch her, or maker her uncomfortable, you're dead》

《Okay》 Seongwoo replied, rolling his eyes.

Soon after the door of the room opened and Mr. Park walked in.

《Dinner's ready》 he said

The three followed Mr Park to the living room. Heeyoung, out of nervousness, was about to sit next to Seonghwa, but Seongwoo quickly took her hand and guided her to the other side of the table. Seonghwa noticed it, but he had to hold his anger back. Once they all sat down, everyone could clearly feel the awkward atmosphere.

《Tell us about yourself, Heeyoung》 Mrs Park said, in a challenging tone

Heeyoung felt threatened, but she forced herself to speak.

《I moved here only recently》 she said 《I go to the same school as Seongwoo and Seonghwa》

《How long have you been dating?》

《A month》 Seongwoo replied for her

Mrs gave Seongwoo a stern look, as to tell him not to answer for Heeyoung.

《What after school clubs do you attend?》 she asked

《I'm not part of any club》 Heeyoung replied, feeling as small as an ant

《What's your family situation?》

She really didn't want to answer and talk about her life, but she also didn't want to find out what would happen if she didn't reply to her invasive questions.

《I live with my mom》

《So, no father?》 she asked, amused

Heeyoung cringed at how it looked like Mrs Park was having fun.

《No father》 Heeyoung replied

《Mom, I don't think you should be asking such questions》 Seonghwa said

《Don't you speak to your mother like that》 Mr Park ordered 《This conversation has nothing to do with you》

Seonghwa quickly glanced at Heeyoung, and she noticed how sorry he looked. It looked like he was suffering for her.

《How are your grades?》 Mrs Park continued

《Average, I think》 she replied 《I haven't failed any subject but I'm not first of the class either》

《You're average in everything, I see》

The remark hurt Heeyoung.

《You don't have talents, you don't have the looks, and from the way you dress and I can clearly see you don't have the money either》 Mrs Park said, with venom in her voice 《What makes you think you can be with our son? You're not good enough to even breathe the same air as him》

Heeyoung felt offended, but she was also very angry. _How could a woman be so mean and arrogant?_ she thought.

《I might not have any of those, but at least I have a nice personality》 Heeyoung replied 《And your son is old enough to choose for himself who's good enough and who's not》

Seongwoo and Seonghwa's eyes widened in fear.

《How dare you speak to me like that!》 Mrs Park snapped

《Thank you for the food》 Heeyoung said, getting up 《I need to go now》

《You're not welcome in our house!》 Mrs Park yelled 《Don't you talk to my son again!》

Heeyoung ignored her, walking out of the room and them out of the house. As soon as she stepped outside and felt the chilly air on her face, she realized what had just happened. She sighed, defeated.

《I dug my own grave》 she whispered, looking back at the house

She took out her phone and texted Seonghwa an apology. She walked outside of the fancy neighborhood and stopped a taxi to go home. She had just gotten off the car, when her phone rang.

《I'm sorry》 she said, as soon as she picked up

《You have nothing to apologize for》 Seonghwa replied softly 《I'm the one who should apologize for my mom's behavior. That's why I wanted you to come by only when they weren't around. I though we could have a nice evening together but they came back and ruined it, I'm sorry》

《Don't apologize, it's not your fault》 she said 《I don't like the fact that you had to experience that. I know it hurt you too》

《My feelings are not important right now》 he said 《I just want you to know that everything she said was wrong. You're talented, you're beautiful, and you're everything someone could ever wish for. I'm the luckiest man alive to have you as my girlfriend》

《You're exaggerating now》

《I'm serious, Heeyoung》

She felt her face get hotter and she was sure she was blushing at the moment.

《Did I ruin everything?》 she asked 《I should have stayed silent》

《I'm glad you talked back》 he confessed 《Neither me nor Seongwoo have the courage to do that. She needed someone to tell her to stop, even if she will never actually do it》

《She won't try to get back at me, will she?》

She felt worried, reminding herself of all the tv series she watched where the rich mothers ruined the lives of all the people they didn't like.

《No, she won't anything》 he reassured her 《If we get Seongwoo to tell her that you two broke up, she won't even bother about it anymore》

《But in the end I'm with you, not with Seongwoo》 she said 《Does this mean we can never tell your parents that we're together? Does this mean she will never like me?》

《You have no idea how much I'd love to tell you that things will change, but I know my parents》 he said, defeated 《You'll have it worse if they find out you're with me》

She sighed and Seonghwa, on the other side of the line, tried to hold back his tears. He hated that she had to suffer because of him and his family.

《I'm so sorry for everything》 he said 《I'm making you go through so much...》

《Don't》 she cut him off 《Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. And if at the end of the day I'm still with you, then everything is fine to me. That's all I care about》

She knew he was about to reply, so she spoke again before he could.

《Don't beat yourself up over it. Just sleep it off and tomorrow it'll be like this dinner never happened. We just have to forget about your parents. We were doing just fine without them. Weren't we happy just an hour earlier?》

《We were》 he replied

《Then just focus on that》

 _How did I get so lucky to meet someone like her_ , he thought.

《I'll see you tomorrow, okay?》 she said

《See you tomorrow》 he replied

《Make sure to sleep!》 she quickly said as they ended the call

She put her phone back in the pocket of her jeans, as she stepped inside her house, ready to get inside her bed and sleep it off, hoping she could forget about the dinner.


	21. тωєηту

The next day Heeyoung couldn't meet Seonghwa before school, and since they didn't have any lesson together during the morning, she knew she could only see him during lunch. In the lesson she had in common with Jane, San and Wooyoung she started talking about what happened the night before.

《Their parents appeared out of nowhere》 Heeyoung explained, sadly 《I don't know why they came back. I'm suspecting that Seongwoo might have something to do with it, because he said he knew Seonghwa would bring me home when no one was there, but I don't know if he really did it or not. He seemed surprised too when they showed up》

《I wouldn't be surprised if he did it》 Wooyoung mumbled, frowning

《What happened then?》 San asked, curious

《I had to pretend to be Seongwoo's girlfriend》 she replied

《WHAT?》 San yelled

The whole class turned around and the teacher told him to quiet down. He apologized, then turned back around to look at Heeyoung.

《And Seonghwa was okay with it?》 he asked

《Of course not》 Heeyoung said 《But they both said that their parents would have treated me even worse if we said I was Seonghwa's girlfriend》

《Are they that terrible?》 Jane asked, worried

《Seongwoo is a sweetheart compared to them》 Heeyoung said, sighing in defeat 《Their mom questioned me during the whole dinner and then she started insulting me about... well, everything》

《Did they just let it happen?》 Jane asked

《Both twins are scared of their parents. Seonghwa tried to interfere once but his father was quick to shut him up》

《Then you just stayed there with them treating you like this?》 Wooyoung asked, confused

《I... might have snapped again》 Heeyoung replied embarrassed

Jane put an arm around her shoulders

《I'm sure you were fantastic in that moment》 she said, smirking 《I feel like a proud mother》

《Did you really snap at their mother?》 San asked, shocked

《I did》 Heeyoung replied 《And I'm scared she'll hire someone to kill me or something》

《Don't worry, we'll protect you》 Wooyoung said, puffing his chest up

《If their mother really is that scary, you will probably run away as soon you see her》 San said to his friend. Wooyoung glared him.

《What are you going to do now?》 Jane asked

《Seonghwa and I don't need his parent's support to be together. We'll just date like we did until now》

The three nodded, relieved that neither Seonghwa nor Heeyoung seemed to care about the parent's opinion.

At lunch, Heeyoung waited for Seonghwa in the corridor while the others went to get their food. When she noticed him walking to her, she waved at him. She was nervous to know in what mood he was in, but she tried to look cheerful as always.

《Hi》 he said once he was in front of her

《How are you?》 she asked

《I'm okay I think》 he said 《I'm still a bit upset but I'm trying not to think about it》

She understood how he felt, because she felt the exact same way.

《Did something happen at home after I walked out?》 she asked

《My mom scolded my brother for a while. It was a bit uncalled for, but still... serves him right》

Heeyoung couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head. She was sure Seonghwa enjoyed seeing his brother being the center of their parents anger for once.

《Is your dad always so quiet?》 she questioned

《He usually lets my mom do all the talk》 he replied 《If he starts talking and getting angry, then it means it's really bad》

Seonghwa analyzed Heeyoung's expression and noticed a frown on her face. He walked closer to her and took her hands.

《We'll be okay》 he said, smiling softly her

She smiled back and he relaxed a bit.

《Let's eat》 he said

Still holding hands, they went into the canteen and bought their food. Then, they joined their friends at their table.

《We thought you were going to ditch us》 San said, teasingly

They started eating, trying to talk about anything, just to change their mood and not think about the day before. Soon they started talking about the school's dance competition, which was planned for the following week. San and Wooyoung were part of the staff who would take care of the stage, so they were busy talking about technical stuff.

《I probably won't be able to spend much time with you after school in the next days》 Seonghwa said to Heeyoung 《I need to practice for the competition》

《Can I come watch you practice?》 she asked

He quickly shook his head 《I want it to be a surprise》

Heeyoung pouted, but nodded.

《Don't overwork yourself》 she said 《Make sure to take breaks and drink a lot》

《Are you his mother or his girlfriend?》 Wooyoung asked, earning a punch on the arm from Jane

《I will》 Seonghwa replied to Heeyoung, ignoring Wooyoung

After lunch the three boys all went their separate ways, while Heeyoung went away with Jane. They were walking in the hallways, when they walked past the practice room where Seonghwa and Seongwoo usually had dance practice. They heard music coming from the room, so Heeyoung peeked through the window on the door, curious.

《I didn't know Eunkyung could dance》 she said

Jane's head quickly turned to look at her friend.

《She's in there?》 she asked, slowly approaching the door

She peeked inside as well and noticed Eunkyung alone in the room, focused on her reflection on the mirror while dancing. Jane felt captured by the way she moved.

《I know you don't want me to mention it, but I think you should talk to her》 Heeyoung said 《I'm leaving you here alone, okay?》

Before Jane could reply, Heeyoung walked away, waving at her. She didn't know what got into her in that moment, but she suddenly didn't think that talking to Eunkyung was a bad idea, so she opened the door. Eunkyung noticed her as soon as she walked inside. She stopped dancing and went to the computer to stop the music.

《Can I help you?》 she asked

Jane was suddenly nervous, because she walked in the room without thinking. _What was she going to tell her?_

《I didn't know you could dance》 she said, quickly

《I do it to relax》 Eunkyung replied, shrugging

《You're really good》

《Thank you》

Eunkyung felt that the atmosphere was awkward, and she wanted to ask Jane why she was there and why she was talking to her like they were friends, but she chose not to say anything and just enjoy the moment. She knew that if she started asking questions Jane would get defensive again and everything would go back to how it was.

《Are you taking part to the dance competition too?》 Jane asked

《No, only the members of the dance club can partecipate》

《Why don't join the club, then?》

《I want to dance freely, not follow someone's orders》 Eunkyung replied 《Plus, the club leader is Seongwoo and I really don't feel like being bossed around by him》

 _It's not like it doesn't already happen most of the times_ , Jane thought. For the first time, though, she kept her thoughts to herself without expressing them out loud.

《Do you want to see the whole choreo?》 Eunkyung proposed

《Did you come up with it yourself?》

《I did》

《Then, if it's not a problem, I'm curious to see it》

Eunkyung felt butterflies in her stomach when Jane smiled at her. Proud of her small victory, she played the song from the start and started dancing again, while Jane sat in a corner and watched every move. For Eunkyung, it felt like such a big achievement, and even if she didn't know why it was happening, she only wanted to enjoy the moment with Jane. 


	22. тωєηту-σηє

Seonghwa was surprised to notice how quickly time passed. He spent his entire days rehearsing with the dance club, and then alone for his own performance for the competition. He tried to spend as much time as he could with Heeyoung but there wasn’t much free time left in his schedule. She didn’t seem to mind, though, and she kept reminding him she was proud of him for working so hard for something he loved. Seonghwa was determined to win the competition, both for himself and for getting back at his brother. Seongwoo’s defeat would mean seeing his whole facade crumble, and Seonghwa couldn’t wait to see it.

The competition took place in the school’s gym. The school built a stage at the center of the field and the public was supposed to use the stands that were already there. Being Seongwoo the most popular guy of the school, always too many people came to see him. The seats weren’t enough for everyone, but at least the school gave the contestants the chance to book a few seats for family or friends. The winner of the competition was chosen by four judges, who were sitting at a table in front of the stage. The first place was the only one with a prize in money. To be precise, the dance club was the only club with real funds, since their father only cared about funding Seongwoo’s favorite hobby.

The contestant were preparing in the gym’s changing rooms, but those who were already changed were either talking to their friends and families on the stands, or were waiting being the stage. Seonghwa was the latter.

《How are you feeling?》

Seonghwa jumped at the sound of Heeyoung’s voice. She laughed at his reaction.

《Nervous?》 she asked, gently.

He nodded, not trusting his won voice.

《Is this your first time performing in front of people?》

He nodded.

《I never thought I would even get a chance to dance freely, let alone perform in front of people》 he confessed 《I jumped on the chance to piss of my brother, but I don’t know if I’m ready》

《Of course you’re ready!》

Heeyoung’s determination caught Seonghwa’s attention. She looked so certain and proud in that moment, that Seonghwa started feeling a burning feeling being his eyes.

《Why are you so sure?》

He asked it just to ask, in a way to brush it off. He didn’t really expect her to reply.

《No one works as hard as you do, Seonghwa》 she said 《The others and I will be on the stands cheering for you. No matter the result, I’m proud of you》

She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it. Heeyoung noticed how close Seonghwa was to a break down, so she quickly started to think of something to say to distract him.

《What are you doing for Christmas?》 she asked.

He looked surprised by the random question. 《I don’t know, why?》

《I figured you wouldn’t spend it with your family, and if you’re not with them, it means you’re probably alone》 she said, shrugging 《You could come spend it with me and my mom》

《It’s a family holiday, I don’t want to intrude》

《My mom loves you! She’ll be happy to have you with us》 she replied 《And since it is a family holidays… I would like to have you there too》

She looked away, embarrassed, but she didn’t have to look to know Seonghwa was smiling.

《I could come earlier and help her cook》 he proposed

Heeyoung’s eyes lit up. 《Would you? She’ll be so happy to hear that》

《It’ll be my pleasure》

She tried to hold back her happy squeal, but she failed. She put her arms around Seonghwa’s neck and he hugged her back, chuckling in her ear. Heeyoung already started making plans in her head. She was listing all the foods they could cook, the presents she could buy, the board games they could play or the movies they could watch.

Seonghwa’s heart was lighter now. Seeing Heeyoung happy always had that effect on him, and thankfully it never took much to make her smile. She had the gift of finding joy in the little things. That was one of the reasons why he liked her so much.

They heard the strident sound of a mic being turned on, then the voice of the host announcing the competition was about to start. Seonghwa’s smile vanished, but his heart remained light.

《You’ll do great》 Heeyoung said

He leaned in to leave a peck on her lips, then she stepped back and told him good luck. She waved at him while she walked away, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

《You won’t smile for long》 Seongwoo whispered in his ear

Seonghwa refused to acknowledge him and forced himself to keep thinking of Heeyoung. He wouldn’t let his brother ruin the effort she put in trying to make him less nervous. He would go up there, dance and make her proud. If he won, then he would also destroy his brother, but if he didn’t, Heeyoung would be enough to make him feel like he won anyway.

The first contestants started going on stage, and everyone else watched them from a tv screen backstage. Seonghwa couldn’t deny that all of them were very talented, but he tried to tell himself he was as well. Putting himself down during that situation wouldn’t help, so he opted for trying to build his confidence. He should have started doing it earlier, because not much was going to come out of it in a half hour time space, but it was still better than self-destruction.

Seongwoo’s performance was before his, but Seonghwa couldn’t decide if it was a good thing of not. He would get the chance to know beforehand what and how his brother danced, but he knew that if Seongwoo’s performance ended up being too good for his standards, he would end up worrying about it during his own performance. He sighed, and watched the screen as his brother took his place on stage.

Seonghwa could’t help but frown when he realized that Seongwoo was dancing the song that they usually practiced with at the dance club. He obviously changed some parts of the choreo and put in some impressive moves, but most of it was the same. Did he think Seonghwa was going to fail anyway, so he took the easy path and danced something simple that he’d known for long already? It didn’t make sense. He thought that in a situation like this, Seongwoo would go out of his way to create something impossible just to overshadow Seonghwa, but from his performance he could tell his brother didn’t really put in much effort.

When Seongwoo came off stage, though, he looked at Seonghwa with a satisfied and proud smirk. He was sure he had already won. Seonghwa became only even more confused at that.

Seonghwa went on stage and somehow, as soon as he lifted his eyes to the stands, he found himself staring into Heeyoung’s eyes. She smiled and waved at him. Jane, San and Wooyoung did the same. A weight lifted off Seonghwa’s shoulders. He had friends. He had people to support him. He had a beautiful girlfriend who would be proud of him no matter what he did. Suddenly the competition didn’t even matter anymore.

When the music started, Seonghwa moved without even thinking about it. His body took control of everything, his mind was completely blank. He let himself get lost in the song. He realized his performance was over, when he heard people applaud and Heeyoung’s happy screeches. He found himself smiling brightly as he got off stage.

Not even a full minute later, Heeyoung was jumping on him.

《You were amazing!》 she yelled

Jane shushed her, pointing at the stage behind them, but Heeyoung ignored her.

《I didn’t know you had it in you》 Wooyoung confessed 《You’re a natural》

Seonghwa gave Wooyoung a small smile as a thank you, and Heeyoung only jumped more happily. Jane stepped forward and grabbed Heeyoung’s elbow.

《We should go, we’re not allowed to be here》 she said 《You’ll have all the time to freak out later》

Heeyoung pouted, but it lasted only a second before she was smiling again. Heeyoung walked back to the stands with the others and Seonghwa waited for the competition to end.

When all the contestants had performed, they took a little break to give the judges time to count the points and decide the winners. For the announcement, all the contestants gathered on the stage. The host started with thanking the school and Seonghwa’s father for the funds and the opportunity to create this competition. He thanked the people who built the stage, the cameramen and the judges. Then, finally, a judge came on stage to read the names of the winners.

《Third place is….》 she said and waited for the sake of the suspense 《Jeong Sanghoon》

Someone from the crowd cheered and a guy on Seonghwa’s far left waved at them, smiling.

《Second place is… Park Seongwoo》

The whole gym fell silent for a couple seconds. Seonghwa, Heeyoung and everyone else was wide-eyed. Then, a slow applause started. He started thinking the judge read the name wrong, but when he glanced at his brother he saw him clenching his fists in irritation.

《For the first place, this year we have a new discovery》 the judge said 《We were very pleased about this breakthrough. It seems talent runs in the family》

She turned around to look at Seonghwa and smiled.

《The winner of the first place is Park Seonghwa》

Again, there was a second of shock, before someone in the crown started screaming and clapping. He didn’t have to look to know it was Heeyoung, Jane, San and Wooyoung making all that noise. He could hear all their voices clearly.

《Come here》 the judge told him

He walked to the microphone, still in shock. Another judge arrived and handed him the envelop with the prize, then they pointed him to a man with a camera and made him take a photo.

He didn’t even hear the host say the last thanks and dismiss everyone. He started coming back to himself when he saw people walking away. He noticed Heeyoung running down the stands, and he quickly got off stage. They met halfway and he cupped her cheeks, kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled into the kiss.

《You won!》 she said

《I did》 he replied with a smile, still not believing it

《We noticed you were too shocked to look at your bother, so let me fill in that foryou》 San said, smug 《The look on his face when he was announced second was nothing compared to the face he made when he heard you were first. He looked like he wanted to light the whole stage on fire》

《He deserved a bruise in that huge ego of his》 Wooyoung added

《It’s the little victories》 Seonghwa replied, smirking

Wooyoung game him a pant on the shoulder, smirking back.

Heeyoung kept looking up at Seonghwa with light in her eyes and a bright smile on her mouth and Seonghwa pulled her closer to him, smiling softly at her. He noticed with the corner of his eyes that the others looked away for a while, as if the scene was too intimate for them to look at.

《I’m gonna get changed then we can celebrate, okay?》 he said

Heeyoung nodded energetically and he gave her one quick kiss before walking away.

《You two are too sweet》 Jane said, feigning disgust

While Seonghwa went to change, Heeyoung and her group walked out of the gym. They stopped in the schoolyard to wait for Seonghwa, but Heeyoung was so excited she could barely stand still.

《You know what? I’ll wait for him outside the gym》 she said, after a while 《He doesn’t know where we’re waiting him, I don’t want him to wander around looking for us》

《Yeah, sure》 Wooyoung replied, lifting an eyebrow at her 《Wouldn’t want him to get lost》

《Exactly!》 Heeyoung replied, oblivious to Wooyoung’s sarcasm.

He shook his head and chuckled at her. She walked back into the school. She was hoping the walk would calm her down. She was so happy she just wanted to see Seonghwa and have him next to her.

While waiting for him to come out, the corridor slowly emptied out. Seonghwa was probably taking a shower. Maybe that was why it was taking him so long. They were going out to celebrate, after all. No one wants a stinky winner with them.

《This shouldn’t have happened》

Heeyoung jumped at the voice, and quickly turned around to see Seongwoo behind her. She frowned in confusion.

《I am number one, not Seonghwa》 he said, taking a step forward 《I should have won. I should have been the one you’re happy about, not him》

Heeyoung took a step back every time he took a step toward her, but soon she had her back pressed against the wall.

《You were supposed to look at me, not him》 he growled in her face

She didn’t have time to reply that his hand harshly gripped her chin and forced her to stay still as he forced his mouth on hers. Her eyes widened in fear and horror, and she punched at his chest, trying to push him away. Suddenly, Seongwoo was harshly thrown away from her. Heeyoung had only a second to realize that Seonghwa was now in front of her.

Seongwoo was about to say something to him, probably something to rile him up, but Seonghwa was already fuming. He punched his brother in the face, making him fall to the floor. The act seemed to wake Heeyoung up, and she took a step toward Seonghwa and gripped his arm, hoping it would be enough to convince him to stop there.

《Seonghwa…》 she whispered

《You touch her again, and you’re fucking dead》 he said 《Don’t think even for a second I would just stop at a punch》

He turned around and gave Heeyoung a quick glance to see if she was okay. She was shaken, but she was able to hold her tears back and it seemed to be enough for Seonghwa in that moment.

《We’re going》 he told her

She knew he tried to say it gently, but he was still too angry to be soft for her. She nodded and followed him outside. Jane, San and Wooyoung walked towards them when they noticed them come out, but the smiles soon disappeared form their faces.

《What happened?》 Jane asked, concerned

《We won’t be celebrating》 Seonghwa said, without even looking at her 《I’m bringing Heeyoung home》

He didn’t give them time to reply and walked toward his car. Heeyoung quickly whispered to them she would explain later, then run after him. When they entered the car, Seonghwa punched the steering wheel.

《Seonghwa…》 she started, gently

《Are you okay?》 he asked, turning to look at her

This time, there was only pain in his eyes.

《I’m… I’m fine》 she replied

《Don’t lie, please》 he begged in a whisper

《I’m fine, I promise》 she insisted 《I’m worried about you》

《Me? You’re the one who was being forced into a kiss. Fuck, I can’t believe he did that. I didn’t think he would get that far. I’m so sorry this is all my fault》

She reached out and took his hand in hers.

《It’s not your fault》 she said

He shook his head. Nothing she said could convince him otherwise and both of them knew it.

《I’ll bring you home》 he said, defeated

He started the car and they left the school’s parking lot. The car ride was silent, but Heeyoung took her phone out to quickly text her mother.

《Come inside》 she said, when they stopped in front of her house

《It’s better if-》

《Please》

Seonghwa looked at Heeyoung and she could see the plea in her eyes as well. If she needed him close, he had to be there. He could drown in his self pity and guilt later. He nodded and they got off the car. When they walked inside the house, Heeyoung’s mother was waiting for them in the living room.

《Hello Mrs. Kang》 he said, trying to sound as normal as he could

《It’s nice to see you again Seonghwa》 she replied, walking to them 《Heeyoung told me you had a fight with your family. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like》

Seonghwa froze. He glanced at Heeyoung, who quickly looked away.

《I’m fine》 he replied, unsure what to say

《It’s not a problem for us. I know it’s hard to go back home during these situations》 she said 《I’ll call you when dinner is ready》

Realizing he was being dismissed, he followed Heeyoung to her room. Once he closed the door behind himself, he couldn’t hold back his anger any longer.

《You asked her to let me stay here?》 he asked

《I saw how your parents are. If you go home now, after punching Seongwoo, you’ll be in trouble. I thought this would be a better option》

《Why the hell would you do this?》

《You wouldn’t have never asked for help, so I did it for you》 she replied in defeated, shrugging

《I could have just gone home, I don’t need you to do this》

《I know you don’t want to face your parents》

《You know nothing》 he replied 《You’re just being nosey again》

《Could you stop doing that?》 she asked, annoyed 《Every damn time you’re upset you tell me that I’m nosey. I know that my personality sucks, okay? I don’t need you reminding me every time》

She bit her lip, and looked away trying to hold back the tears.

《I feel bad about myself as it is knowing that you fought with your brother because of me. I just want to fix what I caused》

He heard her voice break and Seonghwa felt his heart clench. He sighed and cursed himself in his head.

《Don’t say that. You’re amazing, Heeyoung.》 he said 《I’m sorry for saying that. Attacking others when I’m upset it’s a bad habit of mine. I need to work on that》

《You do》

He took a step toward her and put his hands on her shoulders.

《I’m really thankful that you always want to help me》 he said 《And I’m thankful to you for letting me stay here tonight》

She nodded, as to brush him off.

《I’m serious. Look at me》 he said 《I’m sorry for acting like this. And thank you, for everything you do for me》

_I don’t deserve you_ , he thought. He couldn’t say it out loud, because he knew she would argue about it. He knew she wouldn’t be able to convince him otherwise and he didn’t want her to worry about this as well.

His heart and head were a mess. The competition, Seongwoo, this little fight with Heeyoung, the fact that he hurt her again. It was all too much for him to handle. But he couldn’t let himself crumble in that moment. Not when Heeyoung was more important than everything else.

《How are you feeling?》 he asked her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear

《I don’t know》 she confessed 《Too much all once》

He opened his arms and gave her time to come to him when she wanted, if she wanted. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, and Seonghwa responded by wrapping his arms around her as well. They held each other in silence for so long they lost track of time. It seemed to be enough for both of them, and slowly they both relaxed. They were still shaken, but they could get through it together.

Mrs. Kang knocked on the door and informed them that dinner was ready. They all ate together and Heeyoung’s mother tried to distract them by asking Seonghwa about the competition and congratulating him on winning. They celebrated in a quiet way, but it was still enough to lighten both Seonghwa’s and Heeyoung’s moods.

After dinner, the two went back to Heeyoung’s room and held each other in bed. For most of the time they just kept quiet, but from time to time they shared confessions and feelings, pouring their hearts out and comforting each others. 

It was later at night when Seonghwa spoke again.

《You know it’s not your fault, right?》 he asked 《Seongwoo and I fought for you, but it all started because of our usual rivalry》

《That’s not the case anymore. He said he wanted to win me over for himself, remember?》

《Even if that’s really the case, it’s still not your fault》

She wasn’t going to win this argument with him, but she wasn’t sure he was right.

Her eyes felt heavy and she could tell Seonghwa was about to fall asleep as well. Before she actually drifted off, she heard Seonghwa whisper something.

《I love you》

Her brain didn’t give her time to register the three words, that she was already sleeping.


	23. тωєηту-тωσ

While waking up, Heeyoung thought that she was as comfortable as ever, even if her pillow felt harder than usual. It took her a few seconds to realize it wasn’t a pillow and then another few seconds to remember what happened the day before.

All the memories came back all together once she completely woke up. The competition, her joy and pride watching Seonghwa, Seongwoo’s actions, the fight in her room, late night talks.

Seonghwa’s “I love you”.

Remembering this last one detail, every part of her body went tense. She quickly sat up, her heart beating so fast she almost thought it would jump out of her chest. She glanced at Seonghwa’s sleeping form.

_He loves me._

Seonghwa looked so peaceful right there. His face was relaxed and his hair was sprawled on her pillow. He was wearing old clothes that her mother still had from her father, which were usually hidden somewhere in the house. The sight of him in her room, in her bed, warmed her heart.

He slowly started to move and let out a groan as he woke up. She smiled at him when he opened his eyes.

《Morning》 he said, his voice deep.

《Good morning》 she replied.

He groaned again while sitting up. He looked adorable with his hair all up in the air.

《How are you?》 he asked

《I’m fine》 she said

And it was true. She was too happy thinking about his confession to think of everything else. As usual, Seonghwa made her so happy that nothing else mattered.

《What about you? How are you?》 she asked

《I want to sleep》

He laid down again, this time putting his head in her lap. She chuckled and started playing with his hair. She wanted to talk about the confession, for her to hear it again, and for him to confirm it, but she didn’t know how to approach the subject.

《Last night was nice》 she started 《You know, with the talking and all》

《It was》 he replied, his eyes closed 《I’ve never been as comfortable as I am when I’m with you》

《I feel the same》

There were a few moments of silence when Heeyoung tried to open her mouth but her worlds wouldn’t come out. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish for a few times before she actually managed to speak. She was thankful Seonghwa’s eyes were still closed.

《Do you remember what you told me before falling asleep?》

《What did I say?》 he asked back. He sounded curious, as if he actually didn’t remember. Heeyoung’s heart dropped.

《Oh, nothing important》 she replied, then mumbled 《I probably just dream it》

He finally opened his eyes again and glanced at the clock.

《We should get ready》 he said

《Right》

They both got up and started getting ready for school. She felt her eyes burn a little with unshed tears, but she forced herself to smile at him and hurry up with changing. Even while eating breakfast, though, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Did he forget about it? Did he just say it because he was already half dreaming? Was he pretending to not remember because he regretted saying it? Did she really just dream it?

She caught her mother glance at her with a worried look from across the table but thankfully she didn’t say anything.

They took their things and went to school. They said goodbye as soon as they stepped into the building, and Heeyoung went to the class she shared with her friends. When she entered the room, all three of them jumped on their seats, alert.

《What happened yesterday?》 Jane whispered, worried

《Oh, I forgot to text you!》 Heeyoung realized

《It’s fine》 San intruded 《We just want to know if you’re alright. You ran away like that, we got worried》

《Something happened》 Heeyoung said, carefully

She had three pairs of eyes staring at her, waiting for her to explain.

《I met Seongwoo while waiting for Seonghwa… he forced a kiss on me and then Seonghwa punched him》

《Shit》 Wooyoung said

《Seongwoo’s fucked up》 San said, upset 《I always knew it, but Jesus christ》

《Are you alright?》 Jane asked, putting her hand on Heeyoung’s.

《I’m fine, I’m more worried about what will happen to Seonghwa. When his parents find out what happened they will give him hell for it》

《Wait, didn’t he go home last night?》 San asked

《No he stayed at my house》

They nodded, thoughtful.

《We’re here if you need us for anything》 Jane added, squeezing her hand.

Heeyoung quietly thanked her. Right after, the teacher entered the room and the lesson started.

While Heeyoung did her best to focus on something else, Seonghwa couldn’t stop thinking about Seongwoo. He knew his brother, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to pass such a good opportunity to tell on him. Seonghwa had punched him, and he probably had the proof well visible on his face. It was like handing the opportunity to ask about it right on a silver plate.

No matter what the reason was, their parents wouldn’t tolerate such a behavior from him, and they especially wouldn’t be happy that he punched their favorite, perfect son. He couldn’t imagine, thought, what the punishment for it would be. Verbal abuse was a normality in their household. For this, his father would have to take a step further for it to actually be a punishment. Seonghwa wouldn’t— couldn’t— think what that next step would be.

But, despite everything, he didn’t regret it. Not because he had always wanted to punch Seongwoo, but because he touched Heeyoung. She was a ball of sunshine, always kind and bright. No one should have made her uncomfortable, no one should have forcer her like that. She didn’t deserve any of this and Seonghwa couldn’t forgive himself, and his brother, for this.

In the end, it would always be his fault. It was Seonghwa who exposed her to all of this. If he took his distance from her since the beginning, she wouldn’t have suffered so much. He wouldn’t have hurt her with his words all those times and Seongwoo wouldn’t have taken interest in her. Even while he thought about all of this, however, he already knew he would have never been able to stay away from her. Heeyoung was a magnet to him, always pulling him toward her. And the closer they got, the more powerful the pull was.

The hours passed and his mind was still stuck on the same loop of thoughts. He was walking to his next class when he saw Jane and Heeyoung sitting in an empty room, alone. He decided to go in and just say hi to Heeyoung, maybe ask her if she was alright or if she was overthinking like him, but he stopped at the door when he heard them talk.

《What’s wrong?》 Jane asked

《Something happened last night》 Heeyoung said

Seonghwa frowned, thinking of what she could be talking about. Was she going to tell Jane about their fight? Heeyoung was playing with something in her hands, clearly nervous.

《Right before we fell asleep Seonghwa told me he loves me》 she confessed 《But when I tried to talk about it this morning he didn’t remember. I don’t know if he was pretending because he regretted saying it, or if I really just dreamt it. I don’t want to ask anything specific because I’m scared of what his answer might be. I feel so stupid》

Seonghwa’s heart dropped.

《I can’t know if he really said it or not, because I wasn’t there, but I know for sure that he loves you》 Jane comforted her

《How do you know?》 Heeyoung asked, her voice shaking.

《Baby, it’s obvious》 Jane replied, smiling softly

《But boys like him don’t fall in love with girls like me. No one falls in love with people like me》

《What’s wrong with you?》

《I don’t know, but I know there’s something wrong with me. I have something different that makes people not like me》 Heeyoung said. He voice broke. She sounded frustrated and confused. She was trying to explain something that she always felt but that she never tried to put into words, not even in her thoughts. She knew there was something different, maybe even faulty, about herself. She didn’t know if it was just her character or her mind as well, but she knew other people saw it every time they looked at her. It was what kept people always from her all her life. Why she didn’t have friends in her old school. Why no one ever asked her out.

《You have something different that makes people _like you_ 》 Jane corrected 《Do you think San, Wooyoung and I are your friends because we have nothing to do? You’re an amazing girl, Heeyoung, and if other people can’t see it, then there’s clearly something wrong with _them_ 》

Seonghwa couldn’t take it anymore. His hands were shaking and he felt like he was going to have a panic attack soon. Somehow, he not only felt all the emotions he bottled up until that moment, but he felt Heeyoung’s sadness and disappointment as well. He walked away before they noticed him.

《I don’t even know why you guys are my friends》 Heeyoung whispered. Tears where silently streaming down her eyes now. Jane leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Heeyoung, letting her sob on her shoulder.

No matter what Jane said, Heeyoung wasn’t going to listen to her. At least, not in that moment when she was caught up in her own head. In that moment, she mostly needed physical comfort, and Jane was glad she could at least help with that. She held Heeyoung for a very long time, letting her cry all her feelings out and patting her hair to soothe her. Once their spare hour was over and Heeyoung was finally calm again, they went to their next lesson.

When the lunch break bell rang, all Heeyoung could think of was that she was finally going to see Seonghwa again. She was still sad and disappointed about the confession, but she knew seeing him and having him near would still make her feel better despite all of that. Her mood only worsened when he didn’t show up at lunch, and when he didn’t answer to her texts. Jane and the boys tried to comfort her, telling her that maybe he wasn’t feeling well, or that maybe he was busy with something, but when the excuses didn’t help, they did their best to distract her.

Heeyoung didn’t receive a reply from Seonghwa in the following hours, and from sad she started to become worried. What if something happened? What if his parents found out what happened and decided to pick him up from school to talk about it, in case he didn’t come back home that day as well? She couldn’t help overthinking everything.

Seonghwa usually drove her back home after school, but since he was unreachable, once lessons were over she walked to the bus station. She was almost there, when a car puller over.

《Heeyoung!》 Seonghwa called her.

She let out a relieved breath. He looked alright.

《Come in》 he said

He didn’t have to tell her twice. She got on the passenger seat and he started driving again.

《Are you okay?》 she asked, worried 《I’ve been looking for you all day but you basically disappeared》

He glanced over at her with a frown on his face.

《I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you》

《Did something happen?》

《No… not exactly》 he replied, nervous 《I have to show you something》

《Show me something?》

He looked uneasy.

《Do you trust me?》

《Of course》 Heeyoung replied, without hesitation.

《Then, just… just go along with it》 he replied 《You’ll find out when we get there》

Heeyoung was more confused than ever, but she still didn’t ask any more questions. It looked like talking about this _something_ was putting Seonghwa on edge, and she didn’t want to worsen the situation. She just had to wait. She was going to find out what it was about when they arrived wherever they were headed.

They were almost out of the city when he drove inside the yard of what looked like a big house. Vines were covering the whole front and there was a big sign over the door that read “the hearts of people”.

They got off the car, but Seonghwa stopped right in front of it, without going further.

《There’s something with your name in there》 he said 《But you have to go in alone》

Heeyoung was still puzzled, but she decided to just go along with it. Once she walked inside the house, she realize that it was actually a cafe. The place was huge inside, and there were many consumers. Plants were everywhere, between tables and hanging on the ceiling. It all looked so calm. Even the song playing from the speakers was low and soft. She turned to look at her right, and gasped at the sight. The whole wall was covered in post-it notes, papers and letters in different colors and sizes. She walked closer to the wall and read through some of them. In some of those papers people confessed their feelings, in others they wished a happy birthday or a happy anniversary. While reading, a blue envelop caught her attention. On it, on all caps, there was her name.

She detached the envelop from the wall, took the letter out and started reading.

“Dear Heeyoung,

if you’re actually reading this, let me congratulate you first. That wall is a mess, but I’m glad I still managed to put this letter somewhere you managed to find.

I’ll admit, I never wrote a letter in my life and I’m probably gonna mess something up, but I’m trying my best.

I don’t talk about my feelings, and I never got so close to someone to actually need to talk about them. I don’t even know where to start, actually. It’s not a secret that when you first came into my life I didn’t like you. It’s wasn’t because of you as person, but because I’m not used to being around people and you weren’t just a person, you were a hurricane. No one ever noticed me, or considered me worthy of getting to know until you came along. You had so much energy and you were so set on talking to me. You turned my world upside down and I didn’t know how to deal with it. With time, I realized that I wanted to hear you voice, that I wanted you to give me another one of you soft smiles, that I wanted to watch you put your belongings in order on your desk which, by the way, is equally frustrating and endearing. I was a real jerk in the begging. I still am, but I like to think that I’m less of an asshole than what I used to be. You destroyed all my walls without even trying, and I was surprised to find out that I didn’t mind. I wanted to open up to you, because I wanted you to know me.

When Seongwoo started showing interest in you I felt protective over you, not only because he was involving an innocent outsider in our messed up fight, but because I already knew I liked you, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself yet, and I didn’t want you to get hurt. All my plans to protect you failed and you went through so much in these past months. You accepted me and forgiven me for everything, and I’ll never stop being grateful to you for that.

When we first started dating I was very nervous and self-conscious. I could imagine what type of partner you might want, or need, but I didn’t think I’d be able to be that person. I was worried I would not give you enough, because I wasn’t used to give myself to people. Despite my worries, it came natural. I think it was because of you. If I ever had gotten with someone else, it all would have been complicated, but it was never hard with you. It is never hard with you. I wanted to be around you, talk to you and touch you. I was embarrassed to show affection, especially in front of other people, but you slowly managed to eliminate that block of mine as well.

After all this rambling… I feel like I should finally tell you why we’re here and why you’re reading this letter. I heard you talking to Jane today, and you told her I confessed to you last night. I had no idea I said it, I was probably already half-asleep when I did. I’m so sorry. I heard how sad you sounded, and I hate to think it was my fault again. This time, I didn’t even know I was hurting your feelings.

You brought happiness in the life of someone who didn’t even know that happiness was actually possible. Words aren’t enough to explain how I feel, but I still need to tell you in the way everyone says it: I love you. I meant it last night, I mean it today and I’ll mean it for the rest of my life.

I’ll work harder so you never have to question it again.

With love, Seonghwa.”

Heeyoung was crying, but she didn’t care. She ran out of the cafe and Seonghwa caught her when she threw her arms around his neck. She cried into the crook of his neck while he held her close.

《I love you》 she said

He gently pushed her back enough to see her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs.

《I love you》 he replied

Heeyoung sobbed at this, and he chuckled.

《You’re so extra》 she said, playfully slapping his shoulder.

《I had to make up for accidentally hurting your feelings today》

《It’s fine, you had no idea》

He cupped her cheeks and they stared into each other’s eyes for a while.

《You could have told me》 he muttered

《I was afraid you’d reject me》

He shook his head, smiling.

《Have you met me? My whole life revolves around you》

《That’s not true》 Heeyoung said

《It is》

He leaned over and gently pecked her lips.

《I love you》 he repeated 

This time, it was her who moved and kissed him. His lips were soft, and hers tasted like salt. He didn’t seem to mind, and happily kissed her back, pulling her closer by the waist. From time to time, they stopped just long enough to whisper something and then started kissing again.

《You make me happy》 he said

《I love you》 she said back

When they felt like they shared all of their feelings, both in words and action, they kept holding each other, forehead to forehead.

《I’m never letting you go》 Heeyoung confessed

Seonghwa couldn’t hold back his smile.

《God, I hope not》 he said 《I’d be a wreck without you》

He kissed her forehead, then her nose, then her lips.

《Do you want to go inside for a hot chocolate?》 he asked

Heeyoung nodded. They let each other go enough to be able to walk, but they still held hands. It was like they couldn’t break the connection that was between them in that moment. Inside the cafe, they sat next to each other and Seonghwa let her learn on him while they drank their hot chocolates.

Heeyoung smile grew bigger when she realized she’s never been happier.


	24. тωєηту-тняєє

Surprisingly, saying goodbye to Heeyoung wasn't the hardest things Seonghwa had to do that day. Standing in front of the door of his house, he started to think that maybe staying at Heeyoung's for a little longer wouldn't hurt.

He took a deep breath and opened the door with shaky hands. Inside, everything was quiet like usual. His parents didn't seem to be home yet, and maybe Seongwoo wasn't either. He walked to his room as fast as he could without actually running and locked himself in there. He spent the first 30 minutes pacing back and forth, thinking of all the things his father could do or say, and all the useless excuses he could come up with to possibly make him stop. Noticing it was only making him more anxious, he told himself to give up and make use of the little time of peace he still had before his parents came home. He threw himself on his homework and studied more than he ever did in his whole life. He only realized how much time had passed when he heard a knock on his door. Seongwoo opened the door before Seonghwa could even say "come in".

《Dinner's ready》 He said, then closed the door again and disappeared.

He had been fast with his announcement, and even though Seonghwa was still half focused on the book in front of him, he was sure there was no sign of a complacent look on his brother's face. He didn't know if he should be relieved or suspicious.

He went downstairs and found his parents and his brother already sitting at the dining table. Everything about them looked normal, so Seonghwa pretended everything was normal as well. He sat and waited for his parents to start eating so they could start too.

《I heard you won the dance competition, Seonghwa》 their father said

Seonghwa straightened his back a little.

《It was all luck》 he said, hoping that it will take the spotlight away from him.

《We don't work with luck in this family, only talent and power》 their father remarked

Seongwoo shifted uncomfortably next to Seonghwa and it caught their father's attention. His stern eyes were suddenly glaring at him.

《I expected more from you, especially after you boasted so much about how you're the club leader and you're so much better than anyone else there》 he snapped 《I guess you could consider your failure and that bruise as karma》

Seonghwa tensed a little at the mention of the bruise on Seongwoo's face, but his father didn't look at him nor talk about it as if he knew it was Seonghwa's fault. He tried to hold back his confused frown and quickly glanced at his brother. Seongwoo's head was low and Seonghwa couldn't even imagine what he was thinking in that moment. He didn't even know what he himself was thinking. Didn't Seongwoo tell them what happened?

Their mother, apparently, was bored of their discussion and started talking to their father about work, which let everyone else eat in peace and quiet. When they were dismissed after dinner, the twins walked to their rooms side by side in silence. They both had their hands on their respective door knobs when Seonghwa couldn't hold back anymore.

《You didn't tell them?》 he asked

Seongwoo kept his back to his brother, almost leaning his head on his door.

《No》 he muttered

《What did you tell them?》

《I said someone tried to rob me on the way home》

Seonghwa almost snorted, which he realized was very inappropriate in that moment, but he couldn't picture his brother lying about something like this, and he couldn't think of him coming up with such a lie. It was hilarious.

《And they believed you?》 he asked

Finally, Seongwoo turned around and Seonghwa could see the exhaustion in his eyes.

《It's not like they actually care about what happens to us》 he replied 《I was alive, standing in front of them, which was enough for them to know that it wasn't important enough to get their interest》

Seonghwa couldn't argue with that.

《Why did you lie?》 he finally asked 《You're always looking for a chance to get father to scold me for something. This would have been your best win so far》

There were a few moments of silence in which Seonghwa couldn't tell if Seongwoo was trying to come up with an excuse or if he was trying to find the courage to say what he wanted.

《I deserved that punch》 Seongwoo confessed

Before Seonghwa could reply, Seongwoo slid into his room. Seonghwa froze there in the corridor for a while at the realization that his brother sounded ashamed. Shame was such a foreign look on him, it took Seonghwa a while to convince himself he didn't imagine it.

When he went back to his room, he picked up his phone and video called Heeyoung.

《Hey》 she greeted him, with a worried look on her face

《Hi》 he just said, laying down on his bed.

《Is everything alright? What happened with your parents?》 Heeyoung asked

《Nothing happened》

There was a moment of silence.

《What do you mean?》

《Seongwoo lied about the bruise of his face》 he responded 《He didn't tell them anything of what happened》

Heeyoung was so shocked that it took her a few tries before she could speak again.

《He lied for you?》

《I think he mostly did it for himself, but I guess that works too》

《Why?》 she asked, then quickly added 《I mean, I'm glad he did and that you're not in trouble, but... it's odd, isn't it?》

Seonghwa nodded.

《I think he regrets what he did》

《I didn't know he was capable of feeling regret》

Seonghwa could see her embarrassment as soon as she said it, but Heeyoung didn't apologize.

《I didn't know either》 he replied 《In fact, I'm still trying to understand if it was real or not》

《At least you're okay. I was worried about you》 Heeyoung confessed

They looked at each other through their phone screens for a little while.

《I was scared to come home》 he admitted in a whisper

It might have been the fact that it was a day full of emotions and confessions, but for the first time in his life he felt like confessing that to someone, out loud. He never even said it to himself, because he had always been anxious that admitting he was scared of his father and what he could do if given a reason— any stupid reason— would make everything so much more real.

《I know》 she replied, softly 《I can't even imagine what went through your mind all day》

《I'm so glad you don't have to worry about this kind of things in your house》 he added 《It makes me feel better to know that you're safe at home》

Heeyoung's eyes watered.

《I wish I was there》 she mumbled 《You need a hug》

《You mean, _you_ need a hug》 he teased her

《We _both_ need a hug》 she acknowledged

《Yes... we do》

Seonghwa saw her look at something behind her.

《It's late》 she said 《You should go to sleep》

《Can we keep the call on?》

Heeyoung couldn't hold back her smile. She nodded.

She laid down on her bed as well and put a pillow next to her to keep her phone up. They sometimes talked a little, but they mostly just looked at each other. They fell asleep with the call still on.

The next day, just as any other day, Heeyoung went to school with only one thought in mind: seeing Seonghwa. Unfortunately for her, when she felt a hand on her wrist and she turned around, she met the same face but on a different person.

《Heeyoung, can we talk?》 Seongwoo begged

Heeyoung stepped back and surprised herself with how aggressively she pulled her wrist free from him.

《Don't touch me》 she said, firmly

《Please, just listen to me for a second》

He didn't step forward her, but Heeyoung still felt overwhelmed by his presence. She took another step back.

《I might be glad that you didn't get Seonghwa in trouble, but I still don't want to talk to you》 she said 《I have nothing to say to you, and neither do you》

《Just let me—》

His sentence died out when he felt a hand pressing down on his chest. A second later, Eunkyung was between him and Heeyoung.

《She clearly doesn't want to talk to you》 she said 《Leave her alone》

《You're against me too now?》 Seongwoo asked, in disbelief.

《We're not friends and we've never been. I'm tired of being in your shadow and I'm not letting you bother anyone else again》 she snapped 《You fucked up, now deal with it. _Far_ from her》

Seongwoo took a step back, looking at Eunkyung with such a shocked and betrayed look that Heeyoung almost felt sorry. Almost.

Finally, he seemed to come back to reality and walked away quickly.

《Are you okay?》 Eunkyung asked, her back still turned to Heeyoung. It was like she was making sure Seongwoo wouldn't suddenly decide to come back. Heeyoung walked around her to see her face to face.

《Thank you》 she said

Eunkyung glanced down at her and her fierce eyes softened a little bit.

《Look, I'm... I'm sorry, okay?》 she started, visibly nervous 《I'm sorry for being a bitch to you all those time and for helping Seongwoo that one time with the photo》

Heeyoung wasn't expecting an apology, on top of a rescue.

《It's fine, I've already forgiven you a long time ago》 she replied, and in that moment she realized it was actually true. Somehow she never really considered her responsible for everything that happened because she always only put the blame on Seongwoo. And the little hate she had for Eunkyung had disappeared as soon as she realized that Jane still liked her.

《You shouldn't... but thank you》 she said. She looked behind Heeyoung and her expression hardened again 《Your friends are here, I'll leave you to them》

《Wait—》 Heeyoung tried to tell her to stay, but she quickly walked away without turning back.

A moment later, Jane, Wooyoung and San were next to her.

《What did she want?》 Jane asked, her tone upset.

《Seongwoo tried to approach me, but she told him to back off》 Heeyoung said, wanting Jane to know that maybe Eunkyung wasn't as bad as she thought 《And she apologized for everything else》

Wooyoung and San looked at each other, surprised and impressed. Then, the two of them and Heeyoung glanced over at Jane who was lost in her thoughts, looking at the way Eunkyung walked off to. Heeyoung shrugged at the questioning looks from the two boys. She wasn't sure they knew about Jane and Eunkyung, but she could tell they were getting suspicious at this point.

《Jane?》 Heeyoung whispered

Jane's head whipped to her, her eyes taking a second to adjust on her. When her mind came back to reality, she schooled her expression to her usual neutral smile. She hooked an arm around Heeyoung's and looked at the boys.

《Should we go, then?》 she asked

Even if they all let it drop for the moment, Heeyoung decided she wasn't going to let Jane go so easily. But it was going to be a conversation for another time, and for another place.


	25. тωєηту-ƒσυя

A week passed and thankfully Seongwoo didn't try to approach Heeyoung again. He had missed most of his lessons, actually, which was very unusual for him. Students started spreading the strangest rumors, and some of them involved Heeyoung and Seonghwa as well, but nothing came even close to the truth.

Jane didn't mention anything about Eunkyung and Heeyoung let her pretend that she wasn't secretly in love with her. She was surprised she even managed to hold back for a whole week without opening the subject. She was a bit worried about how Jane will react, but the last time Heeyoung pushed her to talk to her (in the dance rehearsal room) it went well. Maybe Jane wouldn't complain so much if she started talking about it now.

That day, when they sat down at their table during lunch, Seonghwa had news for them.

《Seongwoo is moving to a school abroad》 he announced

《What?》 they all said

《Apparently our father isn't happy with how he is lately so he talked to a friend aboard, in god knows what country, and went over the details to transfer him there》 he explained 《I thought it was a little extreme, considering that all they know is that he only lost a competition, but father keeps insisting that there were other _unacceptable behaviors which he won't tolerate anymore_ 》

《It does seem a bit extreme》 San confirmed

《I think it will be good for him to go》 Seonghwa said 《Being away from everything and everyone he knows means he can start all over again. Seeing how things went here, maybe this will motivate him to become a better person》

《I personally doubt he can change》 Wooyoung said, then shrugged 《But you never know》

《Is that why he hasn't been coming to school?》 Heeyoung asked

Seonghwa nodded.

《He's packing his things, going over the documents with our father, and doing online interviews with his future teachers》 he explained 《He's been quite busy》

《Well, I don't know about you, but I'm curious to find out who will take his place as the most popular guy of the school once he leaves》 Jane said, smirking 《There hasn't been any real competition because people were scared of him for some bullshit reason, but now anyone can try. I can't wait to see them fight for the title》

《You're scary sometimes》 San said to her, which only made her grin wider.

Heeyoung mindlessly looked around the canteen and her eyes landed on Eunkyung eating alone at a table. Well, she wasn't alone. She was sitting with some friends, but while they were all conversing vivaciously, she just picked her food quietly.

Heeyoung abruptly stood up, getting the attention of all her friends.

《I'm going to the toilet》 she announced. Then, she grabbed Jane's arm 《And _you_ are coming with me》

Jane didn't have time to protest that she was already being dragged away. Heeyoung dragged her to the toilet and checked if someone else was there. A girl was washing her hands, so Heeyoung waited for her to finish. The girl sent her a questioning look, but Heeyoung only smiled back. Once she walked out, Heeyoung turned to Jane and put her hands on her shoulders.

《You're talking to Eunkyung》 she said

《Why would I do that?》 Jane asked, raising an eyebrow at her

《Because you like her》

《I don't-》

《Don't lie to me》 Heeyoung cut her off

Jane sighed.

《You like her, and I'm pretty sure she likes you back》 she continued 《She's actually pretty decent and I'm sure that if you give her a chance you could know her better and maybe you'll even be surprised to know what the real Eunkyung is like》

Jane didn't reply, so Heeyoung kept talking.

《I know you're scared. I can tell you like, or liked, her a lot and you're scared she'll hurt your feelings》 she said 《But this way, you're only preventing yourself from possibly finding happiness. You'll never know what it will be like unless you try. And most of the times, even if it hurts, it's still worth it》

《When did you get so wise?》 Jane asked

《I'm only wise when it comes to others》 Heeyoung replied 《But that's not the point. Will you try to at least talk to her?》

Jane avoided eye contact by looking around the whole bathroom. Once she studied the room at least three times, she took a deep breath and looked at Heeyoung again.

《You're right, I'm scared》 she admitted, her voice quieter than Heeyoung ever heard 《But I want to try》

Heeyoung couldn't hold back her squeak and Jane bursted out laughing.

《What was that sound?》 she asked, still laughing

《I'm sorry, I'm just excited》 Heeyoung replied, embarrassed but still smiling

Jane wrapped her arms around her shoulders and pulled her close.

《If this goes to shit I'll make you pay for it》 she said, jokingly

《I'll gladly let you do anything you want to me as revenge》 Heeyoung replied, hugging her back.

That same day, Jane spent the last period (her spare period) looking for Eunkyung around the school. She's been pretending that she didn't care, but she still knew Eunkyung's school schedule and she knew she had a spare period as well. The hard part would be locating her. She probably could have gone home early, but Jane had a feeling she was still there, so she kept looking.

It took her a couple failed attempts, before she remembered about the dance room. She tried to think if she knew when the room would be busy with groups and the club rehearsing, but she didn't know their schedule. She decided to give it a shot anyway.

She heard the muffled music from the corridor, and when she looked through the small window on the door, she saw Eunkyung dancing. In that moment, Jane realized that it was all real. She was actually going to talk to her. Intentionally.

She shook her hands in the air as if that would convince them to stop trembling. She took one last deep breath and opened the door, stepping in. Eunkyung stopped right away, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She was panting a little.

《Can I watch you practice?》 Jane asked, nervously

She cursed herself in her head for not thinking of a plan earlier. She did convince herself to go talk to Eunkyung, but she hadn't thought of _what_ she would tell her.

《Of course》 Eunkyung replied

She seemed to relax at her request, which made Jane feel a little better at the question she asked in the panicked moment. She sat in the corner of the room and Eunkyung put the song back from the start again.

Jane lost track of time while watching her. The music and the dancing seemed to put both of them at ease and they slowly got more comfortable about the other's presence. Soon, Eunkyung was pulling Jane to the spot she was standing in and tried to teach her the dance. Not too soon after, they were sitting next to each other, shoulders touching, finally talking.


End file.
